Leader From Another World
by Ultimateblack
Summary: Memories erased, Davis awakens to find himself in a world that he doesn't belong to. He will embark on a journey to save the Digital World, while trying to uncover the mysteries of his past. Meanwhile, the Digimon Kaiser is running rampant and it's up to the Chosen Children to stop him. Nothing is ever as it seems... [02 retelling, side 1 of two worlds.]
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Welcome to a new (actually, an old) adventure. I apologize if the names are confusing, but you have to remember that this is based on the Japanese version of the anime. Davis will have some trouble adjusting to the naming at first since all his friends are called by their English names._

 _Enough of that, read and enjoy!_

 _DISCLAIMER: Digimon is the property of Toei Animation, Saban, blah blah blah. None of this is mine, except anything I made up._

* * *

CHAPTER 1

There was something wrong about today. Davis was sure about it.

"Daisuke-kun…"

Davis turned to his right, seeing a petite brown haired girl looking concernedly at him. "Daisuke-kun, are you alright? You don't look too good." He certainly didn't feel too good either. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I'm fine, please don't worry about me," He told the girl, Kari Motomiya. She had been his friend for years. He had once had a little crush on her, but that was… some time ago? He wasn't sure.

His brain told him she was called Yagami Hikari or something. He blinked confusedly.

 _Why is Kari calling me Daisuke? My name is Davis._ He opened his mouth to correct her but the bell rang and she went back to her seat. Pursing his lips, he turned his attention to the front.

A moment later, the teacher of the class (at least Davis assumed he was the teacher) walked in with a blonde boy in a green and yellow shirt and beige shorts walked in.

"Good morning, everyone. Before we start, I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate." He nodded to the boy, who smiled and picked up a chalk and proceeded to write his name on the blackboard.

Suddenly, it hit Davis that he knew this boy.

He made a sudden movement by standing up, startling his classmate sitting next to him. The teacher looked at him and asked, "Is there a problem, Motomiya?" Davis looked at Kari, who was looking at him from her seat a couple of rows away and didn't seem to be responding to the teacher. Then, he realized that the teacher was referring to him. Everyone in the classroom, including Takeru "TK" Ishida at the front, was looking at him strangely.

"Eh… No, it's nothing." Davis sat down sheepishly. _Did the teacher just call me a Motomiya? I'm not a Motomiya, Kari is. My name is Davis…_ His eyes widened. He couldn't remember his name, no matter how hard he strained himself.

"Hello, my name is Takaishi Takeru. It's nice to meet you all."

Davis turned to the blond boy at the front with his name on the chalkboard. _Takaishi? No, it's supposed to be Ishida. His name is TK Ishida. We're best friends. I wouldn't forget his name… Wasn't his mom called Nancy Takaishi?_

"Alright, Takaishi-san. Just take a seat next over there next to Yagami Hikari-san." The teacher interrupted his thoughts, gesturing towards the vacant seat beside Kari.

Takeru went over to sit next to his long-time friend and they began conversing happily for a while before the teacher announced their topic of learning for the day. Unfortunately for Davis, he was a little too anxious to pay attention.

 _Kari is… Yagami Hikari?_ His brain confirmed it.

Granted, he knew that Hikari was her full name and she often went by Kari to make it easier. But he was somewhat sure that wasn't her surname. Something was really wrong.

"Children, please take out your notebooks and start copying these notes." Daisuke did so and then he spotted something that made his hand tremble. On his books, it was written in his own handwriting: DAISUKE MOTOMIYA.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Digital World was facing problems of its own.

A dark force was slowly taking over the place, leaving misery in its wake. That dark force consisted of a kid who wore golden rimmed glasses with a purple tint, thus preventing anybody from making direct eye contact with him. His suit was also royal blue with a techno design.

He pressed a button on his gauntlet and black, sinister looking rings flew out in all directions. The Digimon ran helter-skelter trying to avoid them, for fear of the consequences of failing to do so. By strapping themselves to Digimon, the Dark Rings brainwashed the creatures and allowed the aforementioned boy to assume total control over them. They became mindless puppets, ready to serve the Digimon Kaiser.

The boy drew his whip and grinned maliciously as the creatures before him scurried for cover. The sounds of their desperate pleas for help and the moans of pain of those who failed to escape capture was music to his ears.

These creatures, the Digimon, had lived in their own world peacefully, away from the exploits of human beings. Yet somehow, this human boy had managed to gain access to their home world and was unleashing his terror upon the land.

As the Digimon hid and trembled in fear, hoping not to be discovered by the boy who called himself the Digimon Kaiser, a yellow dinosaur stumbled and fell. It-no, _he_ \- hadn't felt this scared in a long time…. Turning around, he spotted the black ring homing in on him. Desperately, he shot a fireball at it. "Baby Flame!" It obliterated the ring seconds before it reached him, and he lay on the ground, completely exhausted.

He needed help, and fast. He cried out the first name that came into his mind, the name of his beloved partner and friend whom he had shared so many adventures with.

"TAICHI!"

Elsewhere, the person in question heard a blipping sound coming from his Digivice, and holding it up close he could hear a faint voice emanating from the white gadget. Eyes widening, he ran to the nearest portal that he could find. He had to save his partner immediately, because heaven knew what could happen if he was too late.

The bell was due to ring in 5 minutes, signaling the change of class. Deciding that it was no more important than this, Taichi raced out of the school towards Odaiba Primary.

 _Hold on, Agumon,_ he thought. _I'm coming!_

* * *

 **Odaiba Elementary**

Back in school, Yagami Hikari and Takaishi Takeru were happily catching up with their lives.

"Do you know about Yamato's next album? He said there it would feature a song of a slightly different genre, whatever that means."

Hikari smiled. "That's great, it means he is trying something new."

"Well, the last he tried something new for dinner when I went over to visit, we ended up ordering takeaway." The two of them laughed, and exchanged more stories and humorous jokes while Daisuke silently followed, occasionally smiling faintly at the funny parts. Hikari couldn't help but steal glances every now and then at her brooding friend.

She knew that Daisuke was never this moody. Sure he did get annoyed and sulked for a while but it never stopped him from returning to his cheerful self after a while. _I wonder what's up with him_ , she thought.

When they reached their lockers Hikari turned towards Davis and asked him gently, "Daisuke-kun, what's wrong? You don't seem really happy today."

The mist from the boy's eyes cleared and he put on a faint smile and replied, "I'm fine, don't worry about me." Seconds later, he realized that he yet missed another chance to correct her about his name.

She frowned and was about to say something when a tall bespectacled girl with long, flowing lavender hair rushed into the locker room, panting heavily.

Takeru recognized her and greeted the girl, "Miyako-san, what's with the rush?"

Inoue Miyako blinked and smiled. "Oh, hello, Takeru-kun. I have a message to deliver. Do you by chance know someone called Yagami Hikari?"

Hikari stepped forward and nodded. "That's me."

Relieved that she hadn't needed to run around the school searching for the person whom she had to find, Miyako grinned. "Thank goodness I found you so quickly! I received a call for help at the computer room. It's from Yagami Taichi-san, do you know him?"

Hikari nodded and turned towards Takeru. A silent understanding passed between them. The sound of footsteps sprinting out of the locker room alerted them from their silent exchange, and they realized that Daisuke was gone.

"Daisuke-kun, wait!" she yelled before the trio followed the boy to the computer room. On their way, they passed by Iori who watched them run past.

"Guys, please don't run in the hallway!" he called out, but the stampede was too far away to hear him.

When they reached, they heard voices from inside the computer lab.

"-aichi-san needs help. I'm going to assist him."

A familiar voice tried to placate him, and the three kids rushed in to find Izumi Koushiro holding out a white device. "You need one of these in order to go and help Taichi-san. You cannot enter the Digital World without a Digivice."

Curious, Miyako asked, "What are you guys talking about? What's the Digital World?" Hikari and Takeru looked at each other and they both pushed Miyako out of the lab.

"We'll tell you more about it later," promised Takeru. "By the way, don't you have to go to Iori's house to help him with his computer problem?"

Realization hit Miyako immediately. Iori _had_ ask for her help this morning. Running off, she yelled over her shoulder, "I'll hold you to it!" After she turned left around the corner, Takeru sighed," She certainly is a handful, isn't she?" to which Hikari merely shrugged.

They both turned around as two beams of light streaked past them, narrowly missing their faces and shot off. Startled, they entered the lab quickly just in time to see Daisuke disappear into the computer screen. "After him!" cried Hikari. She and the blond boy pointed their own Digivices towards the screen and disappeared after their friend.

 _This is just not my day,_ thought Koushiro as he rubbed his face and prepared to follow them, but Miyako poked her head into the room, causing him to jerk back his arm which was pointing his Digivice at the PC. "Izumi-senpai! What was the flash of light that came from this room and what are these little machines?" the girl inquired, holding out her Digivice.

Koushiro's face morphed into a mix of surprise and realization. His glanced back at the Digital Gate and saw that it was closed. It was too late to follow the others.

 _Aww, I wanted to see Tentomon though._

Almost instantly, a young boy with a bowl cut appeared at the door. "Excuse me, there was a light that came from this room and I got this." Incredibly, he held a yellow Digivice, the very same model as the ones the spiky haired boy and the tall girl had.

 _Wow, looks like I have some serious explanation to do,_ concluded the Izumi as he sighed.

"Alright, take a seat and I'll tell you about it. Before that, does anyone have Oolong tea?"

* * *

 _Just a while before…_

The day was still wrong for Davis.

The surroundings were familiar to him, but alien at the same time. There was just something he couldn't place his finger on. Coupled with the fact that his surname was slipping his mind, he ended up in a very numb mood.

Little did he know that the _original_ Daisuke from this world had a different way of coping with things, that is, by making jokes and by complaining loudly about it. So, it was no wonder that Kari Motomiya—no, _Yagami Hikari—_ was giving him concerned looks, which he didn't notice. "Daisuke-kun, what's wrong? You don't seem really happy today."

He quickly put on a smile and replied that he was fine. It was obvious that Hikari didn't buy it.

Fortunately, she was distracted by a tall, lavender haired girl who ran into the locker room. She wore a pink shirt over a red dress and huge round rimmed glasses. _Thank heaven,_ thought the boy. The girl, Miyako, as Takeru called her said, "Oh, hello, Takeru. I have a message to deliver." She turned towards Hikari and asked," Are you Yagami Hikari? I received a call for help at the computer room. It's from Yagami Taichi-san, do you know him?"

 _Taichi... That name…_

His brain filled in the gap for him. It was Hikari's brother, but images of a messy haired boy laughing at him as he held a deflated soccer ball in his hands flashed past his mind's eye, as well as pictures of Hikari and her brother. Strangely, he felt compelled to go seek out the boy named Taichi.

Before he knew it, his legs were moving and he found himself sprinting in the direction of the computer room. He had to know. Why was he so drawn towards this Taichi?

When he got there, he was greeted by a redheaded teenager in a green uniform.

"Hello, can I help you?" the teen asked politely.

"Where is Taichi?"

The older boy blinked and replied, "Taichi-san is in a place where not everybody can go. How did you find out about him anyway?"

Davis dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. "How I found out doesn't matter. Taichi-san needs help. I'm going to assist him."

The older boy shook his head and took out a white box from his pocket. "You need one of these in order to go and help Taichi-san. You cannot enter the Digital World without a Digivice."

Davis bit his lip. He didn't have one of those. He didn't even know what they were.

Behind him, Miyako, Hikari and Takeru arrived. He heard Miyako asking about what they were talking about and the other two leading her out, promising that they would tell her about it some other day.

He was stumped. Davis was totally stumped. Even the toughest Physics problem his old teacher, Jin-sensei gave him couldn't do that.

 _Wait, Jin-sensei?_

But the thought was gone just as fast as it had appeared.

He was in a world where his best friends weren't exactly his best friends and reality just seemed screwed up. Davis lowered his head in defeat before a blue stream of light shot out of the monitor and into his hands. Another two streaks, one red and one yellow, shot off behind him to who knows where.

He stared dumbfound at the white and blue-gripped device that rested in his palm. Koushiro looked repeatedly at it, then at Davis, and back at the device again. "What—I-I don't understand… A new Digivice—Impossible!" he stammered. Nevertheless, Koushiro quickly composed himself and told Daisuke to point the device at the monitor.

"So you're a new Chosen Child. The portal is open now, so use that Digivice to open a Digital Gate to the Digital World."

"What is this?" Davis shook the Digivice and examined it in his hand.

"No time to explain, just go to the Digital World and there you'll find Taichi-san. You got that? Now go!"

The younger boy nodded slowly and did as he was told. He disappeared in a flash of light.

Davis exited the portal and landed face first in the soggy mud of a forest. The place was beautiful and serene, but there was no living creature in sight. A wave of calm washed over him. He could imagine himself having a picnic here.

The boy shook his head. "It's time to do what I came here for."

He was about to call out Taichi's name, when a hand clamped over his mouth and a voice hissed in his ear, "Be quiet, or you're going to get us caught." The hand released him and Daisuke found himself staring at an older male whom he immediately recognized as Taichi.

Taichi put a finger to his lips and beckoned him to follow, leading them to a cave nearby. At the entrance an orange dinosaur spotted them and waved. Once inside, Taichi turned towards Davis and asked, "What are you doing here? I sent for Hikari and whoever else she was with for backup. How did you even get here in the first place?"

Davis blinked. _This_ was Taichi? _This guy was the reason he'd come rushing to this place?_

He realized he must have been staring blankly because Taichi was waving a hand in front of his face. He shook his thoughts away and replied, "Hikari and Takeru are on the way, and does this answer your question? I got it from the lights that flew out from the computer." He held up his Digivice for the older boy to see.

Taichi remained silent, and Davis could practically hear the gears in his mind turning.

 _There's something different about Daisuke,_ Taichi thought. Finally, he spoke, "I sent Tailmon and Patamon to pick up the two of them. In the meantime, come with me. There's something I want to show you." He got up and cocked his head in the direction of the tunnel that led deeper into the cave.

"I'm Agumon, nice to meet you!" The dinosaur grinned at Davis and stuck out a paw with three claws. Davis warily responded in kind and shook it.

They walked deeper into the cave where they ended up in a chamber where a big, red egg sat unmoving on the ground.

"When I first came in here, I tried lifting it but it wouldn't budge." Taichi explained. Turning towards Daisuke, he prompted, "You try."

Daisuke positioned himself and pulled. To his surprise, the egg came up without resistance, making him land hard on his butt. An orange fountain of light sprouted from the hole in the ground, and a blue dragon-like… thing jumped out and onto Daisuke's chest. It had adorable red eyes and a V shape on its forehead.

"YAHOO! Free at last! I've waited so long to be released!" It yelled jovially, not noticing the bewildered expression of the boy whose chest it was on.

In future days, Taichi would retell the whole incident, making it funnier the more times it was told. He also would include some antics, like reenacting Davis' priceless expression (which he made up) and lots of non-existent screaming was to be involved. Right now, the Chosen Children Leader was just stumped.

The dragon grinned down at Davis and said, "I've been waiting for you all this time. My name is V-Mon, what's yours?"

"Daisuke, Motomiya Daisuke," stammered Davis. Then he blinked and thought, _wait, did I just call myself Daisuke instead of Davis?_

Taichi chuckled and walked over to two of them, saying, "Looks like he's your new partner. I'm sure you'll be a great team," and patted V-mon on the head who was busy hugging his new partner and nuzzling him. Taichi then pulled Agumon into a one arm hug, grinning at his partner and best friend. "You will rely on each other a lot, like we have," Agumon said happily.

The happy moment didn't last long, because a scream was heard from outside the cave. Recognizing the voice, Taichi yelled, "Hikari!" and ran towards the exit, with Agumon, Daisuke and V-Mon following close behind.

On the way out, V-Mon tried to make conversation with his new partner. "I'm glad you released me from under the Digimental of Courage. That's the thing that you're holding. To use it you have to say Digimental Up. It'll allow me to-"

"Can we save this for later? We're kind of in an emergency now," Davis cut his new companion's words short as they neared the cave opening.

Outside, they spotted Hikari on the ground, clutching her ankle. Takeru squatted next to her, trying to help her get up. In front of them, a white cat with gloves and a flying hamster with bat-like wings/ears were trying to distract a giant rhinoceros-dinosaur-like monster (which was identified by V-Mon as Monochromon) by tackling and blowing bubbles at it.

Taichi and Daisuke tried to run towards them, but the Monochromon stood between the two groups. They ran around towards Takeru and Hikari, trying not to gain the attention of the Monochromon. Unfortunately, it managed to shake off the two smaller Digimon and charged towards the kids. Agumon shot a Baby Flame at it, but the Monochromon's hide was too thick for any damage to be done.

"NO!"

Davis ran toward them and pushed them to safety at the last moment, narrowly missing the sharp horn pointed at the spot they were a second ago. Standing up, he heard V-Mon shouting from a distance, "Use the Digimental! Let me fight!"

He gripped the Digimental tightly and yelled, "That's enough. No one hurts my friends! Digimental Up!"

* * *

The Digimon Kaiser starred at a wall of screens in his observation room. At first, he had absolutely no doubt that the insects that had just appeared would be crushed by the Monochromon. Then, the maroon haired kid pulled a wild card by letting his Digimon evolve.

A bright orange flash filled the screen. When it subsided, a blue, red armor-clad humanoid lizard was stood there, staring down the Monochromon in front of it.

Intrigued, the Kaiser leaned forward. His dark towers should have stopped ordinary evolution, so this must be a new evolution method. He watched the screen intently as the new Digimon, Fladramon as his database told him, battled with Monochromon.

Fladramon leapt high into the air and set himself on fire. He hit the dark ring that was strapped onto Monochromon's back and managed to destroy it, freeing it from the Kaiser's control.

 _That thing managed to free one of my toughest servants,_ the Kaiser thought, mildly irritated that he had suffered a loss. A minor one that didn't matter at all, but a loss was still a loss.

The Kaiser never loses.

Deciding that he had seen enough, the Kaiser stood up and exited the room. _Very interesting._ _Fladramon will make a nice addition to my collection of slaves_ , he smirked.

* * *

Not long after, the Chosen Children landed in a heap in the computer room with Koushiro at the bottom of the pile, wondering how his day could get any worse. Davis groaned and opened his eyes, finding himself on top of Hikari. As red as a tomato, he quickly got up and helped the others. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a blue rabbit-dragon looking creature appear from the screen and hop off to hide, completely unnoticed by the others.

"Taichi! How's Agumon?" Koushiro questioned.

Picking himself off the floor, Taichi groaned and replied, "He's fine, and so are the others. They said they would stay in the Digital World for now, and we should really call a meeting tonight. It's urgent."

Koushiro noted his friend's serious expression, and saw the anger and concern his eyes held. "Alright, I'll send messages to the rest of our gang," he promised.

"Does that mean we are having a reunion?" Takeru's face was lit excitedly. "Wow, on the day I just got back too!" Hikari bobbed her head eagerly.

"It has been too long since we all had a gathering."

Miyako shot her hand into the air impatiently. "Hello, is anyone going to explain why you guys suddenly emerged from the monitor?"

Iori chorused with his own question. "Do we get to visit the Digital World?"

Surprised by the presence of strangers, Taichi raised a questioning eyebrow at the Chosen of Knowledge. Koushiro raised his palms in front of him. "Relax, they're new Chosen Children. The lights that flew out of the screen were new Digivices." He beckoned for Miyako and Iori to show their Digivices.

"So that's what the light was. When I touched the Digimental of Courage, a blue light flew out. I'm guessing that is Daisuke's."

Davis lifted his head at the mention of his name and held up his own Digivice, looking at it curiously.

"Digimental? You have a lot to tell us tonight, Taichi-san," Koushiro mused, fascinated by the new devices.

"Excuse me, are we going to the Digital World or not?" Miyako huffed again.

Takeru looked at the time and blanched. "Err guys, it's almost 5.30pm. Should we get going?"

Panicking at how late it was, everybody rushed home before they had to add an interrogation from their respective parents to their already eventful day. Hikari promised Miyako that they would go to the Digital World tomorrow.

"It's a great place that is full of surprises," she teased. The taller girl grumbled, feeling unsatisfied.

Koushiro went to the computer to shut it down. He glanced at the status of the Digital Gate and confirmed his suspicions.

"Locked, huh." He mentally reminded himself to bring this up at the meeting later.

While the others shuffled out of the room, Davis stood where he was. Hikari doubled back and peeked in. "Daisuke-kun, are you coming with us?"

Davis shook his head. "You go on ahead. I have something to do."

Out of sight, Taichi hollered, "Hikari, let's go!"

"I'll be right there!" she shouted back. She gave Davis a long look and left hurriedly, limping slightly.

When he was sure everyone was gone, Davis walked up to the shelves and moved the items. Unsurprised, he found a Digimon hiding in the darkness. "Don't think I didn't see you appear from the computer. Come out now, we're all alone."

The Digimon jumped out and into Daisuke's chest and looked up at him. He resembled V-mon, albeit much more adorable and full of energy. His ruby red eyes shone with innocence and excitement. "Hello, Daisuke. You sure are observant. I'm Chibimon, the Baby level of V-Mon."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see your world. We are partners after all!"

His human partner's brow creased. "Do the other Digimon know you're here?"

Giggling, Chibimon flailed his arms. "Who cares, I am here now. Do you have any food?"

Davis sighed. Now he would have to figure out a way to tell the others and keep the fuzzy ball of energy hidden, not to mention feed him.

 _The others, huh?_

Taichi had complimented his bravery and thanking him for saving his sister and Takeru. He had even given him goggles, claiming that he is a new Chosen Child and he should have an accessory to go with the title. In this case, it was goggles.

His mind was full of questions. _Why did this Taichi seem so important to me? Why does nothing make sense today? Why was I able to lift the Digimental of Courage and not Taichi? What do these goggles mean?_

Subconsciously, he touched the plastic rim of his new head gear, admiring them through his reflection from the blackened computer screen. He had to admit, they looked rather good on him, just like Kari said.

He mentally slapped himself for calling her Kari. Then he smacked himself a second time for forgetting to correct people about his name.

 _But… she's still Kari, isn't she? Hikari and Kari, they're the same person. Why should it be any different?_

So many questions. He would have to figure all this out later. Right now, he had to get home.

"Come on Chibimon, let's go. At the rate this is going, Jun is going to end up being my sister."

* * *

 _A/N: After two years, I finally revisit the chapter that started it all. I have to admit, it doesn't hold up as well as I remembered it. Shows how much you can grow over a period of 24 months._

 _The changes I made were to the consistency of naming, added some scenes to aid coherency, and also edited to suit my latest continuity. I'm going to go through the next few chapters and make more changes._

 _Interesting note: Taichi never named Daisuke leader in the original. He just saw his replacement Chosen Child of Courage and therefore handed him his goggles as symbolism of passing the torch. There was no mention of the word leader at all, not in the Japanese dub anyway._

 _I quote: "Daisuke… You're definitely a new Chosen Child. From now on, you'll protect the Digital World. Here, you can have my goggles."_

 _If Yamato was leader, he wouldn't have anything to pass on and no-one would be able to argue about that. So since Daisuke wasn't officially named leader nor did he ever assert his position as leader, you can say that he grew into the position with good team dynamics. It was never a dictatorship sort of situation and he mainly rallied the others just like Taichi, even though he had to learn how to not make the rash choices of charging into battle after half a season._

 _Fact #2: the animators and screen writers didn't show much about how Hikari supposedly hurt her ankle. They made a big deal about it to raise the stakes and then she was suddenly fine. I kinda fixed that._

 _That's all for now. Please leave a review, let me know what you think. Hope you enjoyed it!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Shout out to Shara Raizel for being my awesome Beta, and I know you're extremely busy so thanks :) Thanks to BreakingWays as well for sharing ideas and advice._

 _DISCLAIMER: Digimon is the property of Toei Animation, Saban, blah blah blah. None of this is mine, except anything I made up._

* * *

CHAPTER 2:

Nightfall. The time when residents of the city were either back home with their families, or out doing errands.

The first generation of Chosen Children had called for a group meeting in the park. True to word, Koushiro had broadcasted the emergency meeting call to all the Chosen of Odaiba. The first to arrive was the computer prodigy, followed by Taichi and Hikari, then Sora. They found their comfortable sitting positions at the playground and waited for the rest to appear. Soon, all had gathered except Mimi, who was in America at the time.

Takenouchi Sora smiled at all her friends, brushing her red hair out of her face. "It has been a long time since we gathered like this."

"Too long, actually," spoke up Ishida Yamato, elder brother of Takeru. Their surnames were different because their parents split up long ago. Still, they managed to keep in touch and had spent a long time together in the Digital World last summer. When Yamato first heard that his mother and sibling had moved back to Odaiba, he was surprised and excited to see them again. He had even planned a dinner after practice.

Things didn't go as planned however, when Koushiro had picked that particular night to summon them all. "Didn't think our first reunion since last summer would be like this. I thought it would be catching up over homemade dinner," he noted to his brother.

Takeru smiled. "It's fine, bro. I'm just happy to see you again."

Yamato nodded gratefully. "I'll make you dinner tomorrow then."

"This had better be important. I still have homework, you know," ejaculated Kido Jyo, the oldest among them all. Being a high school student, he had lots of assignments and hardly had time to spare. It wasn't that he didn't wish to meet his old comrades though. He missed them dearly but he would never be caught saying that out loud.

Bemused by how little Jyo had changed in terms of being responsible, Taichi cleared his throat and started, "Yes, Jyo, it is important." He then proceeded to recount the day's events and told them that new Chosen Children had appeared.

"The new Chosen Children have their own Digivice models, too. Theirs look completely different from the ones we have. They also have a different method of evolving. It's called Armor Evolution."

Koushiro, who hadn't been at the scene where everything happened, piped up curiously. "Armor Evolution?"

Taichi nodded. "Yeah, using some sort of egg. It's called a Digimental, and the one I saw had the symbol of Courage on it. I tried lifting it, but it wouldn't budge. It sent out a beam of light when I touched it though. Turns out it was a new Digivice."

"You said there were three new Digivice models, but only one flew out when you touched the Digimental of Courage. Does that mean that there are more Digimentals out there?"

Everyone looked at Yamato. He had a point.

"Maybe, since the Digimental I touched was Courage, there should be other Digimentals of our crests."

That was an interesting thought. Sora counted of her fingers and exclaimed, "There might be eight new Chosen Children then! That's a big addition to our group."

Hikari rebuked the idea. "There were only three lights that came out of the computer screen, we didn't see any more. Right, Koushiro?"

"That's right. We are not sure if there are any more that found other Chosen Children, unless they used another Digital Gate that we don't know about.

Sora slumped her shoulders, slightly disappointed. "I see… Then who are the new Chosen Children?"

"Currently they are Motomiya Daisuke, Inoue Miyako and Hida Iori."

"Daisuke? You mean that spiky haired kid who idolizes you?" Yamato remarked.

"Uh huh. Kind of a surprise for me as well."

"Miyako and Iori were there when we came back, so they made a fuss about wanting to go to the Digital World. We promised them we would go tomorrow, but I'm anxious since there is trouble in the Digital World," Takeru added, leaning back against the slide.

His words caught the attention of his companions almost immediately. The words "Digital World" and "trouble" in one sentence never bode well for the Chosen Children. Thoughts of their partners sprang to their minds instantly.

"Tell us more about it."

And so Taichi, Hikari, and Takeru shared their story of how the Digimon Kaiser suddenly appeared in the Digital World and started wreaking havoc on the peaceful land. When they finished, the chilly night air seemed to drop a few degrees in temperature.

Sora spoke wearily, "If the Digimon Kaiser is enslaving the Digimon, then I can't help but worry for our partners. I hope they're all okay."

The moment of silence that followed showed that everyone shared her sentiments.

"What I'm more concerned about is the fact that none of our Digimon can Evolve to fight because of this Digimon Kaiser's Digivice. It's kind of a cheat, taking away our powers like that," Jyo grunted, frowning at his friends.

"Yeah, he probably couldn't take us on in a fair fight. Wish I could trash that little punk to the ground, almost getting Agumon like that." Taichi punched his palm. His sister placed a palm on his shoulder comfortingly.

Koushiro raised his hand and said loudly, "Don't forget that we can't open the Digital Gate without the new Digivices. The portal locks itself when there are none of the new models around."

Taichi raised an eyebrow. "How did I get into the Digital World then? The new models didn't even exist when I entered earlier today."

Rubbing his chin, Koushiro hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps," he theorized, "you only managed to enter because Agumon was calling for your help and the Digital World responded, unlocking the portal and allowing you to enter."

"Really?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's just a hypothesis."

"So does this mean that we can't go to the Digital World without the new kids around? That sounds a bit troublesome." Yamato folded his arms, unhappy that they had to rely on other people to get the job done. It was less complicated when everything was their business alone.

"Brother, don't forget that we can't Digivolve our partners with the Digimon Kaiser around. The heavy-lifting will have to be done by Daisuke-kun and the rest," Takeru reminded. Yamato harrumphed, still dissatisfied. His brother shook his head at the show of stubbornness.

Finally, Taichi spoke up. "Anyway, we should all go to the Digital World. We need to get a clear picture of what's going on and how we can help to restore the peace."

Sora, Koushiro, Hikari and Takeru were with him instantly, the former two having not seen their partners for ages. To their amazement, Yamato and Jyo declined, having band practice and studying respectively to keep them busy. "I want to see Gabumon but… I trust he'll be fine. Just tell us everything once it's over," Yamato instructed Taichi.

"Keep an eye out for Gomamon for me as well."

Their leader agreed. "Alright, leave it to us."

With that, the meeting adjourned and the teenagers went back to their respective homes, anxious about their Digimon partners' welfare. They were Chosen Children tasked to protect the Digital World, and they would not allow some brat to undo the stability that had fought so hard to restore.

* * *

Iori stood outside on the balcony in his family apartment. He gazed at the beautiful night scenery before him, and wondered what the Digital World was like. Did it have stars? Would he be able to see the constellations at night? Or was it a cold, hard place with numbers floating around?

Daisuke and the rest had just popped out of the computer screen and landed on Koushiro, Miyako and himself. They were mum on the details regarding the Digital World, but judging by the scrapes, bruises and dirt on them, they weren't having a picnic.

That should have stopped him right there. That should have been the warning that screamed danger and not to get involved. But how could he? It was a world waiting to be explored.

Then there was this miniature, yellow object that had materialized into his palm. It startled him, to suddenly have a beam of yellow light plunge directly into his hand and turn into what that Izumi-senpai had called a Digivice.

Miyako had one of them too, though it was coloured red. Both of their Digivices were different from what Izumi-senpai had, which was plain white and shaped differently.

 _Those are called Digivices. They are the physical embodiments of the bond between you and your Digimon,_ Izumi Koushiro had explained, before correcting himself, _your future partners apparently._

Iori had never heard of a Digimon. In all seriousness, who had? It sounded like a product name marketed towards children. It stood for Digital Monsters, which meant monsters made out of data.

 _Ridiculous,_ Iori thought. _Monsters don't exist._

But four kids had toppled out of a _computer screen_ right onto his small frame. That was real enough.

He gripped the railing tightly. There was so much out there that he hadn't seen. There was a world out there waiting for him to explore. Despite all of its mysteries and potential dangers, he yearned to see it.

So whatever it was that awaited him in the Digital World tomorrow, he would be ready. He would be careful, as his grandpa and mother always reminded him to be.

His mind wandered towards his late father. _I wonder if Father had heard of it before. I wish he was here. I wish I could tell him about it._

Deeply immersed in his thoughts, he did not hear Miyako let out a sigh of satisfaction behind him in his room. She had just fixed his computer, which hadn't turned out to be that big of a problem. Just tinkering with the circuits and reconnecting the wires had solved the problem.

"Iori, I'm done with the computer so I'll be off now. See you in school tomorrow!" She hollered at the boy. Noticing the boy's tightly clenched hand on the railing, she asked concernedly in a softer tone. "Iori, are you alright?"

Iori snapped out of his trance and turned around. "I'm fine. Thank you very much for your help," he gave Miyako a low bow, who waved it off cheerfully, the accomplished smile returning to her face. She left and walked back to her apartment, which was on the same floor as Iori's.

Iori took a deep breath and said confidently to himself, "I'm definitely going to the Digital World tomorrow. Just wait!"

* * *

Taichi flopped down on his bed and switched off the lamp. His bed was the lower bunk of a double decker that he shared with Hikari. Of course, she had gotten the top bunk after winning a game of Rock, Paper, and Scissors. He doubted anyone he knew could beat her at that game.

He thought hard about the events from earlier, and about how Daisuke seemed to have a different personality and attitude. The Daisuke he knew would have been jumping with joy, bragging about how ready he was to explore the Digital World and enjoying himself. Today, the young Motomiya had been unexpectedly quiet and serious.

Hikari walked into the bedroom, wearing a night gown and using a towel to dry her wet hair. Seeing her brother frowning whilst deep in thought, she asked, "What's wrong, big brother?"

Taichi looked towards his sister and sighed, "I am worried about Daisuke. He didn't seem too happy today. In fact, his presence kind of felt different. I don't know what it is, but I feel troubled."

Clutching her towel, Hikari said, "You noticed that too? Daisuke's attitude, I mean."

Taichi nodded. "Yeah, but… We can't do anything about it. If we confront Daisuke, I don't think he will tell us anything. We need to find out what's going on with him."

Hikari hung her towel on the rack outside the room and climbed into the top bunk. "Right, I just hope he will tell us what's wrong someday, so that we can help him."

"Do you think I made the right choice, passing the torch to Daisuke? Those were my favorite goggles after all."

"I'm sure you did what you think was best, big bro. He'll be fine. You've always tried to make the most suitable decisions."

Comforted by his sister's kind words, Taichi grinned. "Got that right. Goodnight, Hikari."

"Goodnight, big brother."

With that, the Yagami siblings closed their eyes and let sleep overtake them.

* * *

While many were excited about going to the Digital World the next day, one boy in particular crashed onto his bed tiredly; his mind was on other things at the moment. He was right about Jun being his sister, as she was once Hikari's older sibling.

He found it strange that he remembered Jun as Hikari's sister, but he wasn't as able to recall his own surname. But whatever his name was, it definitely wasn't _Motomiya Daisuke._ It just felt wrong. Yet if that's what all these people knew him as, he would be Daisuke until everything became clear to him.

 _I have to tell them that my name is Davis. Davis… something._

First, he was in a world where he didn't belong. Then, he got downloaded into a computer world. Finally, his friend's sibling was now his instead. He also currently had a bunny dragon to deal with. What could be worse?

He closed his eyes, trying not to work himself into a headache. Chibimon, still curious about his partner leapt up and landed on Davis' stomach. "Why are you so quiet, Daisuke? You should loosen up a bit." Then he started using Davis' stomach as a trampoline, jumping and doing flips in the air. Suddenly, firm hands gripped him mid-jump and he found himself staring into the solemn eyes of his human partner.

"My name is not Daisuke. It's Davis."

"Day-vees? But you're Daisuke! How can you be Day-vees?"

Davis opened his mouth to argue but decided against it. It was rather pointless.

After a moment of silence, he sighed. "I'm not sure if I can do this, Chibimon. I don't belong here. This world just doesn't seem right. I'm not even sure if I can live up to Taichi-san's expectations. I mean, what do I even know about being a Chosen Child?"

"A Chosen Child is a human who is partnered with a Digimon to save the Digital World!"

Davis raised an eyebrow. "I know that, but what else does a Chosen Child do?"

"Um, I don't really know. Oh, we can play together!"

Sighing, Davis said, "That's not exactly what I had in mind."

Chibimon wriggled out of his grip and landed on the pillow. "You will figure it out, Daisuke. You're my partner, after all." Slowly, his eyelids drooped and the little Digimon fell asleep. Mildly amused and consoled by the vote of confidence, Davis switched off the lights and got into bed.

 _Motomiya Daisuke, huh? That's who I am right now. I will find out who I was before this. I swear._

He closed his eyes. _Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day._

* * *

 _The next day…_

School went by quickly for the Chosen Children, though it felt like ages with the excitement burning in their hearts. Davis kept eyeing the clock nervously. He had left Chibimon in the computer lab with no supervision and every second his partner stayed there, he risked getting caught. Hiding in his bag was not an option too.

Just as the bell rang, he sped towards the computer lab without a single word, leaving Hikari and Takeru standing in the figurative dust cloud he left. Hikari had never seen Daisuke in a rush since the last time a stall was once set up in front of the school, selling some Trading Cards that he liked. That stall had unfortunately moved elsewhere a few months ago.

 _I wonder what Daisuke-kun is so hurried about this time._

Upon reaching the computer lab, Davis snuck in and closed the door. He went to the shelf where he found Chibimon last time. Praying that his partner was still there, he reached out into the dark corner. To his enormous relief, Chibimon latched onto his arm and began chanting, "I'm hungry! I'm hungry! I'm hungry!"

"Calm down, Chibimon. I have some food for you." He took out a sandwich from his bag. "You better eat up and get back into the Digital World."

"But Daisuke, I want to stay with you," he said between bites.

I know, little guy. Thing is, you can't be here. What if you get discovered?"

"I won't. I remained so quiet today nobody noticed I was here.

Now Davis felt impressed. The hyper little creature being quiet and obscure? "Huh," he managed. He was about to say something else when the door slid open, revealing a Koushiro and Taichi plus a red haired girl he had never met before. Their faces morphed into a mixture of shock and panic. They quickly closed the door and walked towards Daisuke and Chibimon, who was still munching on the sandwich.

Taichi started. "Daisuke, what is a Digimon doing here?"

Davis was momentarily caught off guard, but he answered slowly. "Well, he kind of followed me back here yesterday. Everybody, meet Chibimon, the Baby form of V-mon."

The door opened again and Takeru stepped in with Hikari, Miyako and Iori. They greeted the older teens, and D aisuke found out that the red haired girl's name was Sora, and turned to Daisuke before repeating what Taichi asked. "Daisuke, what is a Digimon doing here?" Sighing, Daisuke nodded and repeated his answer.

 _So much for trying to keep Chibimon a secret... At least they took it well._

Hikari suddenly giggled, causing the rest to look at her. "So that's why Daisuke-kun was in a rush just now." Takeru giggled along with her.

"So this is a Digimon… He's so cute!" Miyako began cuddling with Chibimon. He squealed. He enjoyed the attention very much.

Iori studied Chibimon with great interest. "I've never seen anything like it before. Are they all so adorable?"

Miyako cooed, pinching Chibimon's cheeks. "I certainly hope they are. I could live in a world full of creatures like this guy."

Koushiro cleared his throat. "Miyako-san, do you mind giving back Daisuke-san his partner? We're about to get going."

"Awww…"

"Does everyone have their Digivices?" Koushiro asked again. Everyone nodded, and held out their respective ones. Sora and the older Chosen Children looked at the new Digivice models with fascination, while Daisuke warned the newer two that the Digital World wasn't as great as they thought it was. Naturally, Miyako and Iori doubted his words.

"You've only been there once, so don't act like you know everything. We're ready for some danger," she snarked. Iori agreed as well.

Davis merely shrugged. "Suit yourselves." Behind him, Taichi raised an eyebrow.

 _Daisuke not responding to rudeness? That's new._

"Daisuke, would you like to do the honors?"

Davis blinked. "Uh, okay."

He turned towards the screen that presented the portal to the Digital World. Everybody followed Davis' example and the group disappeared into the screen with a flash of light. The bright flash was not unnoticed, as the teacher in charge of the computer club, Fujiyama-sensei happened to pass by the lab. Startled, he opened the door and went inside, only to find that the room was empty sans a computer that was left running.

He didn't know much about computers, other than turning them on and off. The teacher muttered something unrepeatable about irresponsible students and shut down the PC, unwittingly trapping the group in the Digital World.

* * *

In a peaceful meadow sat a TV set that few knew what purpose it served. Suddenly, a bright flash came from it and a group of teenagers were spat out from the screen.

Davis crawled out of the tangle of limbs and groaned as he stood up. He just had to be the leader and go first. In retrospect, going first meant he had a team that had his back. By landing on top of him, that is.

Chibimon had evolved back into V-mon, which startled Miyako and Iori who had no idea about Digimon evolving.

"But he's not as cute anymore," the girl whined. "Change back!"

Then they noticed that their outfits had changed. Miyako now wore clothes that resembled a biking suit while Iori had a Chinese-looking outfit. Davis himself wore a blue leather jacket with flame designs and what seemed like fur at the collar.

The first generation of Chosen Children looked at the new group with surprise. Their own outfits had not changed, and they still donned their usual school clothes.

"What, so the new Chosen have new clothes on top of their new Digivices? Not fair!" Sora groused. Koushiro agreed, but he made a mental note to study the new Digivices as soon as he could.

Taichi called out for Agumon, who arrived soon with Tentomon, Tailmon, Patamon and Biyomon. They greeted their respective partners happily, and Miyako wondered out loud, "How will we get our own partners?"

Davis answered, "If you're anything like me, you'll get your partner by lifting your Digimental. But first, you'll have to find i—" He broke off as the ground crumbled beneath him. He fell into the chasm that just opened up but managed to hold on to a rock that jutted out of the slope.

"Daisuke, hold on!" V-mon tried extending an arm to pull Davis up but the ground trembled once more, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his partner. Davis lost his grip and they both tumbled into the giant hole in the ground.

"Daisuke! V-Mon!" Taichi ran over towards the hole but a purple slash of energy stopped him in his tracks. He looked up to see a green mantis-like Snimon hovering overhead. Agumon, Tentomon and the rest tried using their attacks but Snimon was so fast, none of them hit. Things got worse when a Yeti joined the battle. Mojyamon hurled rocks at the humans who barely dodged them.

Koushiro yelled, "They have Evil Rings on them!" Realizing that the battle could not be won, the team scurried over to the bushes and ran into the forest. Once they were sure that they had lost the enemy Digimon, the children collapsed from fatigue. Miyako and Iori were trembling in fear, and they suddenly realized what Daisuke had meant by the Digital World not being a really peaceful place. The older generation plus Hikari and Takeru, however, were laughing hysterically.

"Just like old times, eh? Running for our lives while being pursued by enemies we couldn't defeat." Sora said between spasms of laughter and gasps for breath while the others nodded in agreement, similarly out of breath. Their partner Digimon snorted, because that was a regular routine for them as they lived in the Digital World.

Miyako rounded on them immediately, retorting angrily. "What are you laughing about? Daisuke and V-Mon just fell down a large hole, two monsters attacked us and we have no idea how to get home!" She burst into tears, while Iori patted her back consolingly.

Sora's face turned serious and she said, "We are going to need help if we are going to rescue Daisuke. Can the Digimon evolve?" The Child level Digimon all shook their heads miserably.

Collecting herself, Miyako sniffed and said hoarsely, "Daisuke said something about looking for our partners and finding a Digimen—Digimanta—"

"Digimental?" Takeru offered.

Miyako nodded. "Yes, that's what he said."

Biyomon and Tentomon shared a look. "Could it be?"

Curious, Koushiro asked his partner, "Do you know anything about Digimentals?"

Tentomon shook his head and said, "We are not sure. We are only guessing what those things at the temple are." He flew up and pointed towards a grey, weathered building on the hill. Biyomon added, "The ornaments on the altars have the symbols of Love and Knowledge on it."

Taichi stood up and pumped his fist. There was no sense sitting down and doing nothing. His experience as leader from his previous adventures began to kick in. "I think those are the ones. Alright, let's go and get Daisuke back!"

* * *

"Where am I…?"

Davis opened his eyes slowly, his pupils adjusting to the light flooding into his eyes. When everything came into focus, he realized he was shackled to a wall. He struggled, causing some dirt to fall off.

 _Wait, this isn't a wall. This is a rocky slope._

Above him, he heard a voice speaking. "Finally awake, eh? It's about time too. I was wondering how much longer you were going to stay asleep."

Davis tried to turn his head to face the speaker but the metal cuffs held him in place. "Who are you?"

"I am the Digimon Kaiser and the master of all things in this world. You have been given the privilege to hear me speak in person." He snapped his fingers and a slab on the barren slope opposite Davis spun around to reveal V-Mon cuffed in a similar manner.

"Yo, Daisuke." V-mon grinned at his partner. "Nice day to be chained up like this, huh?"

Davis rolled his eyes and yelled up at the Kaiser. "What are you going to do with us?"

"Nothing much to you, except having you watch helplessly as your partner becomes my slave." The Kaiser snapped his fingers again and a black ring appeared and flew towards V-Mon. "I would have preferred Fladramon but this will do."

Davis struggled against his bonds. He had to free a hand to get his Digivice and D-terminal so that V-Mon could evolve and escape.

As if reading his mind, the Kaiser held out the very items he wanted. "Looking for these? Don't bother. As I said, just sit back and watch." He laughed at his prisoner's futile attempts to break free.

"Forcing me to become your slave? Don't even think about it. I have waited so long so be free and to be with my partner. I won't let you take my free will away!" V-mon yelled at his captor.

The Kaiser curled his lip and retorted, "We will see about that." The black ring picked up speed.

A confident grin crossed the blue Digimon's face. "Try me." Just then, two beams of red light sped towards the black ring from the sun and destroyed the ring in an explosion. A red griffin Digimon soared out from the sky; its rider was a bespectacled girl who wore an orange helmet.

"Miyako?" Daisuke said incredulously. The girl flashed him a thumbs-up as her ride stopped in front of him.

"This is Holsmon, my new partner." She patted the Digimon fondly. Holsmon slashed at the cuffs with razor sharp claws, severing them in a second. Daisuke slid down the slope and rolled on the ground to decrease the impact. He dusted himself off and thanked Miyako. He looked up to where V-Mon was held captive and saw a yellow insect-like Digimon holding his partner in its arms.

"Daisuke!" Davis turned around and was glad to see Taichi, Hikari, Takeru, Sora, Koushiro and Iori running towards him. Miyako swooped down on Holsmon and Digmon jumped down with V-Mon. Happily waving, he ran towards his friends. "Daisuke! Digmon saved me." V-mon said and jumped out of Digmon's hold and onto his partner's chest and hugged him tightly.

A shrill whistle was heard and Mojyamon, Drimogemon and Snimon joined the fray. From the top of the cliff, the Kaiser hollered, "You twerps won't get away from me!" Narrowing his eyes, Davis turned to the group and said, "I need to get my Digivice and D-Terminal back. Miyako, give me a lift to the top, drop me off and take out that Snimon. Digmon-" Davis looked up at the bug Digimon,"—keep him busy." He jerked a thumb at the approaching Drimogemon and nodded at the yeti digimon. "Everybody else, distract that Mojyamon."

With that, he hopped onto Holsmon's back and shouted at the group as they ascended. "Try not to get killed."

Iori's mouth twitched. "Did he just start giving us orders?"

Taichi smiled. "It seems so." _I didn't expect he'd_ _do the job so well,_ he thought.

Iori raised a brow but said nothing. He turned his attention towards Digmon who was grappling with Drimogemon. After a few strikes, the mole Digimon fled by burrowing underground. Digmon jumped down the hole and took the battle to the tunnels.

Meanwhile, Davis had jumped off Holsmon's back and landed in front the Kaiser. V-Mon hopped off as well. Davis lunged for his Digivice and D-terminal but the Kaiser dodged and held them out of reach. He lunged again, only to have the Kaiser dodge, grab his arm and twist it behind his back. Yelling his partner's name, V-Mon attacked the Kaiser. Out of nowhere, a green caterpillar Digimon knocked him aside and they faced off. "I won't let you hurt Ken-chan!" the caterpillar said.

Daisuke blinked. "Ken-chan?"

"You fool!" The Kaiser roared in anger at the Digimon. Davis took the opportunity to swipe at the Kaiser's hand which held his belongings. They fell out of the Kaiser's grasp and Davis broke free from the hold at the moment the hand holding his arm behind his back loosened its grip. He got the two items but lost his footing and Davis fell off the cliff into the deeper chasm at the other end, yelling his lungs out as he plunged through the air.

"DAISUKE!" He heard V-mon scream and a familiar bright orange flash came from the items Davis was holding. Davis closed his eyes to block out the light and braced for the fatal impact, but it never came. He felt non-human arms wrap around him and his body began to ascend. He opened his eyes and found himself looking at Fladramon. His partner jumped from slope to slope and landed on safe ground. The rest of the Chosen Children came running towards him, Mojyamon hot on their tails.

Fladramon yelled furiously at Davis. "What were you thinking, putting yourself in danger like that!? I just met you yesterday, and you want me to lose my partner after just knowing him for one day?" The humanoid lizard had tears in his eyes.

Davis was shocked. He didn't know his partner Digimon cared for him so much. He lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry, Fladramon. I won't take such risks again."

Fladramon's glare softened and he said, "Make sure you don't. I don't want to lose you."

Davis looked up and nodded. His friends called him as they came to a stop around him. They all looked back at the yeti that was stomping towards them. "Leave this to me," Fladramon stepped in front of the group. Mojyamon threw an icicle spear at him, which he grabbed with his talons. The heat from his claws melted the ice. Grinning slightly, he got ready to attack. "My turn. Knuckle Fire!" The fireballs that he shot from his hand curved and spiraled around each other as they sailed towards their target.

Flames engulfed Mojyamon and it screamed in pain. The dark ring attached to it was incinerated and crumbled into nothing. A tunnel opened from the slope and Digmon hurled a limp Drimogemon on top of the fallen Mojyamon. Immediately after that, Snimon fell from the sky and landed on top of the heap.

Miyako and Holsmon descended from the sky and joined the group. "How's that for a beginner?"

Davis smiled and nodded. "Good work, you guys." He glared up at the Kaiser who was looking at the scene with disgust. The Kaiser turned his back and with a swish of his cape, he was out of sight.

Turning back to the group, Davis said tiredly, "Let's go home, guys. It has been a long day."

* * *

 _A/N: Basically Davis' side of the story is a retelling of 02, with changes here and there of course. This is not the first rewrite of 02 out there, but I want it to be unique. I hope to be able to write as well as SadHelm2, who is the author of two of the most popular Digimon Stories ever. His 'To Keep On Rising' is truly a remarkable masterpiece in the works, whereas his 'Teacher Of All Things' is an extraordinary crossover of V-Tamer and Season 1. Worth reading? Definitely._

 _Please, leave a review to let me know what you think!_

 _Next update will be Chapter 3 for Daisuke: Meanwhile On The Other Side. Thank you for your support. Have a nice day._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I realized after I wrote this that this chapter sheds some light on Ken, like the third chapter of Daisuke:MotOS. Funny coincidence, I say. But anyway, I'm glad that you all read and enjoyed the previous two chapters. I hope I will continue to impress, although much time needs to be input for quality control. So I may not update regularly for frequently, but I will take my time to maintain the standard of each chapter._

 _DISCLAIMER: Digimon is not mine, but this fanfiction is. I make no profit, but my reward is in form of readers enjoying my story._

* * *

CHAPTER 3

It was evening back in the real world. The sun set on the horizon, shining its last drops of light on the Tamachi apartment building. The Ichijouji residence was situated there and in a room, the computer screen glowed with a dim flash of light. When the light subsided, a boy in a grey Tamachi Primary School uniform stood there.

The Kaiser had returned to his home; a home which meant nothing more than a second base to him.

Back in the Digital World, he was the supreme Kaiser who ruled the world. Here, he was just Ichijouji Ken, a genius boy who had superb acting skills in order to appease the foolish grown-ups.

Looking around his room, the Kaiser snorted, satisfied that everything was in place. Not even his parents dared to enter his room without his permission.

Sitting down in front of his desk, he thought about the day's events. The kids who had i had had ntruded in his realm again had defeated his servants. Gritting his teeth, he wondered, _are my servants not strong enough? How could they have been defeated so easily?_

 _That idiot Wormmon gave away my identity to the boy… I will have to tread carefully so that_ they _don't figure out who I am, especially that guy._ His mind turned towards the spiky haired boy with goggles. He wasn't the average boy that his acquaintances in the pathetic excuse for a school were. Granted, the other boy was no genius; he was just different from the rest. There was something about him that the Kaiser couldn't put his finger on. He seemed slightly familiar, it was almost like…

 _He knew him._

Ken clutched his head in pain. The thought about _him_ seemed to give him a migraine. His superior brain couldn't supply him the information he needed.

He didn't know him. Of course he didn't. He had never even met the boy before… had he?

Deciding not to bother too much about it, Ken began to plan another challenge for the people who dared to enter his Digital World without his permission.

* * *

"What do you mean we can't go back?"

"I told you, Miyako. The digital gate has been shut from the other side. We need somebody to access the computer back at the lab in order to open it."

"But Koushiro, we will be home late. My mom will not be happy," Iori said worriedly. "Isn't there a way we can get back?"

"I'm sorry, Iori. There's nothing I can do right now."

"How about we send an email to my brother? He can come help us get back," Takeru suggested.

Sora shook her head, "He told me that he will be having band practice until late at night today. Even if he could get here in time, it'll be past curfew for us. Their practice area is really far away."

"Damn it, what should we do now?" Taichi punched his palm in frustration.

"I believe I can help with that."

Everyone turned around to see an old man walking towards them. Recognizing his wrinkled face, Hikari and Takeru ran forward to hug him. "Gennai-san, it's good to see you."

Smiling in return, Gennai patted their backs and said, "It's good to see you too. Now, let's get to the more pressing matter at hand." He gently pushed the two aside and walked towards the rest. He took out a small notebook computer from his robes and connected it to the television set they were crouching around. After a few moments of typing, the TV screen displayed a dim view of the computer lab. The lights were off and there was no one there.

Standing up and stretching a bit, Gennai looked at the Chosen Children and beckoned for them to get going. Holsmon and Digmon had devolved respectively into a red bird, Hawkmon and an armadillo unceremoniously named Armadimon.

They all gathered in front of the TV set and were absorbed into it, returning them to the real world. At the last moment, Davis was dragged back by Gennai.

"Hey, what—"

"Relax, Daisuke. I just w justant to talk to you. Don't worry, it won't take long." Gennai motioned for them to sit down on the grass. The old guardian surveyed the boy's face before starting, "Interesting, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, but what is interesting?"

"The fact that V-Mon managed to Armor Evolve into Fladramon without you activating the Digimental of Courage is interesting."

Davis recalled that when he was falling off the cliff, he hadn't done anything accept close his eyes and brace himself f or the massive hurt that was supposed to come after that. Yet, he had been saved by Fladramon who had evolved without him ever saying Digimental Up, which was strange. "How did he do it?"

Gennai explained, "The bond between a human and a Digimon is like a lock and key complex. It can only form when the two pieces can fit together perfectly. Usually the bond formed is strong enough to form an empathy link between the pair. On the rare occasion, an extremely strong bond is formed and miracles can be achieved. Apparently, you and V-mon are one of the rare pairs."

Clearing his throat, he continued, "The question is, would the same have happened if V-mon was partnered with another person?"

"I don't know, Gennai. Why would you ask that? V-mon is my partner, right?"

Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Gennai kindly said, "Yes, he is. But he wasn't meant to be at first. You see, the Digivices choose owners that have had previous contact with Digimon, and thankfully Daisuke, you were one of them. However, it was under my influence that they made their choice and I'm sorry to say, I didn't choose you at first."

Davis' mouth fell open. He did _not_ see that coming. He had taken having V-mon as a partner for granted and Fladramon's yelling came back to him. "Are you telling me that I wasn't meant to be a Chosen?"

Gennai gently continued, "Yes, but the Digivice chose you on its own account by overriding my influence, which makes the whole situation all the more fascinating. It's a sign that you are destined for greatness." Hearing somebody calling for Daisuke, the two of them looked at the TV set which displayed Chibimon shaking the monitor and Koushiro trying to make him stop. The old guardian stood up and said, "Return to your friends, Daisuke. Take good care of V-Mon. He could very well be the last of his kind."

Davis nodded and turned towards the TV. He held out his Digivice and like the others, he was sucked into the screen and the meadow was left with an old robed man holding a laptop and a TV set with a static screen that went blank after a few moments.

* * *

 _Hours later…_

Miyako flopped down on her bed and held out Poromon in front of her. The fluffy, pink-feathered bird was the Baby form of Hawkmon. "Poromon… I never ever thought that I would have a Digimon partner. You're so cute!"

The pink bird blushed. "Thank you, Miyako-san."

"Do you have to be so formal, Poromon?"

"Well, it's good to be polite right?"

"Of course…"

Miyako thought about Daisuke and how he had tr ied to warn them earlier that the Digital World was dangerous. "I didn't get to apologize to Daisuke about not heeding his words today. True, it was dangerous but it was exciting. I definitely want to go back there again."

She cuddled her partner. "How am I going to hide you in school tomorrow? My bag is always full and I can't bring you into class."

"I remember Takeru-san saying something about letting us hide in the computer lab. I can wait there with the other Digimon until school is over."

"But you can't make any noise, Poromon. You have to stay quiet and motionless until we come."

The pink feather ball snorted. "I am fine with that, Miyako-san. I'm more worried about Chibimon. That guy is seriously hyper."

"Daisuke must have a hard time dealing with him."

"I'm sure he does, Miyako-san."

* * *

"What's that, Iori?"

"That's a kendo stick, Upamon."

"What's that, dagyaa?"

"That is my history textbook."

"What's this, dagyaa?" Upamon had a pencil in his mouth and was making it bob up and down.

"That's a pencil and not for eating, Upamon."

"Iori, why do you have so many things, dagyaa?"

"They are daily necessities, Upamon. Why do you keep ending a sentence with 'dagyaa'?"

"I don't know why, Iori. It just feels right, dagyaa."

Suddenly, the little Digimon squirmed. "I'm not feeling so good, dagyaa."

Concerned, Iori asked, "What's wrong?"

The unmistakable sound of somebody letting out gas filled the room. Upamon whimpered, "I'm so sorry, Iori… I couldn't hold it in, dagyaa."

"Good grief, I wonder how Daisuke-san puts up with this."

* * *

"Achoo!"

"Are you catching a cold, Daisuke?"

"No, Chibimon. My nose just itched suddenly."

Davis closed the book he had been reading at his desk and sat back in his chair. His mind was running wild with various thoughts and questions.

 _Gennai said that Motomiya Daisuke was not initially one of the candidates for being a Chosen Child But, I'm not Daisuke… I'm Davis God-knows-what-my-surname-is. Apparently everybody has confused me with this Daisuke person. Should I reveal that my real name is Davis?_

He remembered that he tried to. But most of the time he forgot. That or he got distracted by the events that happened. Still, the name Daisuke was starting to grow on him. It fitted him snugly, for some reason.

 _It's your name, of course it fits you,_ his brain insisted. He was beginning to question if this Davis persona was made up.

Davis groaned in frustration. This was too much for him. Chibimon hopped onto his head and perched there. He looked down from his position and into Davis' eyes. "Daisuke, you're frowning."

His furrowed brow loosening, Davis grabbed the blue Digimon. "I'm sorry for making you worry today. I will not to put myself in unnecessary danger again." _And thank you for being such a loving friend._

Chibimon nodded. "It is okay, Daisuke. I will always be with you to keep you safe. I promise."

Davis had a sense of foreboding right after the words left Chibimon's mouth.

* * *

 _The next day…_

The school bell had just rung, indicating the end of another day of learning. While the other students went home, Davis, Hikari and Takeru made their way to the computer room. They opened the door and the Digimon that they hid inside first thing in the morning appeared from their hiding places to greet them. Miyako came shortly after, holding a bad of snacks.

"My parents own a convenience store," she said, grinning. "I can get some snacks for free."

Raising an eyebrow, Davis asked, "Do you really get free food all the time?"

"Not really, I have to help out at the store every now and then. My parents won't let me take more than a few anyway."

The Digimon gathered around the bag that Miyako had set on the floor. "What are these? Can we eat them?" Poromon asked.

"Of course. They're really good." Patamon started by sucking on a pack of juice. With Patamon taking the initiative, the Baby Digimon dug in. Upamon and Poromon did the same as Patamon, enjoying the drinks immensely while Chibimon gnawed on a bar of chocolate. The delicious explosion of taste and the sugar content left the Baby Digimon hyper. Tailmon sweat-dropped at the scene, "I just feel worried thinking about the future with these guys around," she deadpanned.

Noticing that his partner wasn't around, Upamon asked, "Where's Iori, d, agyaa?"

Hikari answered, "He hasn't finished his lunch yet. He'll be here soon."

"Hey guys, I found today's newspaper lying around. There's an article about the new chess champion Ichijouji Ken," Takeru spoke up as he flipped to the page where the article was and began reading out loud. "Ichijouji Ken, previously well known in Japan for his excellent grades and superior intellect, has made another mark in the world. He won an international online chess competition yesterday.

The loss of world chess champion to the Primary student from Tamachi, Japan was a huge shocker. We interviewed the new champion and he said humbly, 'It was pure luck. I did not even imagine that I could win against the reigning champion.' His ten move checkmate was extraordinary and nothing that the world of chess had ever seen before." Takeru whistled, "That guy is seriously good."

Davis nodded in agreement but mused silently. The caterpillar Digimon's words were ringing in his ears. " _I won't let you hurt Ken-chan!"_

 _Could he possibly be the person we are fighting? No, there are so many Kens out there. I can't jump to conclusions that quickly._

Davis glanced at the picture of Ken printed in black and white. His face looked familiar, like he had seen him somewhere before. His memory failed him, and he wasn't able to recall where he had met the boy.

"Sorry, I am late." Iori walked into the computer room and was greeted by Upamon.

"Alright, now that we are all here, let's get going!" Miyako pointed her Digivice at the screen and the digital gate appeared. Suddenly, she remembered something. "Oh Daisuke, I didn't get to apologize to you for not heeding your warning yesterday. So, I am sorry."

Iori joined in too by bowing lowly. "Me too, I am sorry."

Patting their shoulders, Davis smiled, "Don't worry about that. What's a leader if he doesn't look out for his teammates?" He turned and called, "Chibimon, we're going!" Chibimon and the other Digimon joined them as the group held out their Digivices and disappeared into the computer once again.

* * *

he Kaiser stood at the top of a coliseum that resembled the one in Rome. The pillars and walls were damaged, but at least the cages still functioned _. Whoever had created this game really did the job well,_ he thought. _This is the most realistic RPG game I have ever played._ He had found the game installed on his computer and had tried it out.

 _A couple of days ago, Ken had woken up in the morning with a feeling that he had something to do. He had followed it and turned on the computer in his room to find a program named 'Digital Gate' on his desktop. He clicked it and a message box appeared, saying 'Please point Digivice at screen to initiate'._

 _At first he wondered what a Digivice was, before he noticed an odd looking black and grey device on the table. He tried pointing it at the screen and he felt himself being pulled towards the computer. He appeared in a dark room with screens, wearing a cape, tinted glasses and multi-buttoned gauntlets. A big teddy bear sized caterpillar sitting on revolving chair looking at him. "Ken-chan, you're back."_

 _His arrival at the place triggered a memory, and he remembered that he was the Digimon Kaiser; he was the supreme ruler of the Digital World. He made Dark Towers and Evil Rings to enslave Digimon, the creatures of this world and occasionally he would go on killing for sport. He grinned and said, "Let's go have some fun." Grabbing a bow and arrows hanging of the wall (he did not know why they were there as this was the era of the hunting rifle but hell, why not make good use of them?), he set out with Wormmon following close behind._

 _He and Wormmon rode on the head of a slave Tyrannomon. He saw his target, a red-furred beast called Elecmon. He jumped off and grabbed the whip hanging off his belt and lashed at the little Digimon. It cried out in pain but it only made him happier to hear the cries. He continued a few strikes before deciding that he wanted to end it._

 _The Elecmon looked up in fear and pleaded, "Please don't kill me… Please…" Ken hesitated. The expression on the Digimon's face was so real; so… human. He shook his head. These things were only data; they weren't real. He notched an arrow and aimed at the Elecmon. The Elecmon closed its eyes and accepted its fate. Ken's hands trembled on the bow._

 _Why couldn't he do it? All he had to do was release the string._

 _He closed his eyes and released the retracted string. The arrow shot forward and pierced torso of the Elecmon as its eyes opened wide in pain and the Digimon pixelated, leaving nothing behind._

" _Big Brother!" A voice called out from Ken's left. A smaller Elecmon jumped out of the bushes and rammed into the Kaiser's abdomen. The boy staggered back and glared at the newcomer. "Why you…"_

 _The smaller Elecmon had tears in its eyes. "You killed my big brother! I'll kill you!" He launched himself at Ken again. Wormmon knocked the Digimon aside and shot a Nebaneba Net which ensnared the small Digimon. He turned towards Ken and asked, "Ken-chan, what are we going to do about him?"_

 _The Kaiser lowered his head and thought. The Elecmon's words had struck home with him. He had lost his own brother long ago. He had just brought the same fate down on another being. "Let's go back for now. Leave him there." He jumped onto the Tyrannomon which was still standing nearby waiting for orders. Wormmon joined him and they returned to the base._

 _Ken was silent for some time. Then he asked Wormmon, "Do Digimon die? They're just data right?"_

 _Wormmon hesitated and replied, "Yes they can die, but they are reborn in Primary Village."_

 _Ken sighed in relief, "So they can be reborn?"_

 _Wormmon nodded. "But sometimes they are completely reborn. They have no memories of the past and are born a completely different Digimon."_

"… _Can humans die here too?"_

 _Wormmon looked up in thought before replying, "I don't really know. There was a rumor that a human in another part of the Digital World died and split into data… It's just a rumor though."_

He looked down at the slave Gotsumon fighting each other for his amusement. Both of them collapsed out of fatigue and he shook his head. He was tempted to let them fight to the death like the gladiators, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

" _Sometimes they are completely reborn. They have no memories of the past and are born a completely different Digimon."_ Being reborn a different person meant dying, and he didn't want to risk that. It would mean he was no different than a murderer. He was surprised that he had such a conscience though, considering the cruel things he had done and is still doing. But he decided that there would be a limit to his actions. He wouldn't go overboard with his fun.

He made a gesture and a few Ogremon servants came forth to bring the two fallen Gotsumon back to their cells. His gauntlet beeped at the same time, signaling intrusion in his domain.

 _Those pesky brats again…_

He whistled for a Tyrannomon to give him a ride towards the Chosen Children. Gathering another four of them, the red dinosaur pack headed towards the direction of their, or rather, the _Kaiser's_ prey. After all, there was no way they could stand up to four aggressive Adult level Digimon at the same time.

* * *

Not knowing that the Kaiser was after them, the Chosen Children walked toward the signal of two new Digimentals.

"I wonder who they are for," Hikari asked, more to herself.

"We'll find out when we get there," Takeru answered. "I hope they're for us though."

"Yeah, we are currently a liability to the group. We can't evolve and fight in our condition." Tailmon said as she walked next to Hikari's knee. Patamon, who was flying above Takeru's head, agreed.

"To tell you the truth, I envy Daisuke-kun," Takeru said suddenly, while looking at the back of Daisuke's head has he chatted with Miyako and Iori. Hikari raised a questioning eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate. "He's a newcomer and gets to be the leader of the team, even though we have had more experience in the Digital World. He even gets a new Digivice and evolving technique."

Chuckling lightly, Hikari consoled him. "I trust my brother's decisions, Takeru-kun. If he believes that Daisuke-kun can lead us well, then I believe in him too."

"I guess so…"

"Besides, having experience doesn't mean that you have to lead. You can be the trusty advisor, the helpful second hand man whom the leader trusts," she added.

"I see that Hikari has given the subject a lot of thought," Patamon smiled as he landed on his partner's head. "Don't worry about Armor Evolving. I'm sure that I'll turn into something super cool! I always do."

"Seeing that a hawk can turn into a griffin and an armadillo into a giant bug, I wouldn't be surprised if you turned into a flying horse." Startled by the new voice, the four of them came to a halt and turned towards the Davis. Miyako, Iori and their respective partners were still ahead of them, but their leader had somehow crept up unnoticed during their conversation.

They wondered how much he had heard, or if he had heard anything at all. Davis' expression gave no indication. Instead, he pointed to the cave entrance they were closing in on.

"We're here."

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter was shorter than I originally intended, but don't worry because next chapter will a long one._

 _I had to stick to the Inoue convenience store fact in both worlds, so if you read Daisuke: Chapter 4 and notice repeated information just remember that there are two Inoue Miyakos/Yoleis talking to two Motomiya Daisukes/Davises._

 _How did I fare this chapter? Leave me a review please!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thank you for sticking with me, I really appreciate it. This chapter continues where the last one left off. This is a much longer chapter and a lot is happening._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 4

If Hikari and Takeru were expecting an ancient temple like where Miyako and Iori got their Digimentals, they were disappointed. Miyako moaned, "A cave. Why does it have to be a cave? Couldn't the Digimentals be located in a nicer place like a restaurant?"

Davis rolled his eyes. "You can stay outside if you want to. Only Takeru and Hikari are needed to lift the Digimentals." He followed Iori, Takeru and Hikari inside, leaving Miyako standing at the entrance. The tall girl huffed and crossed her arms, but she followed them anyway. Hawkmon sighed at his partner's attitude.

Thankfully, the cave wasn't as deep as the one Davis got his Digimental of Courage from. Light from the entrance could still penetrate the darkness, allowing the Chose Children to see where they were going. They soon reached a stone slab, on which sat the Digimentals with the crests of Light and Hope engraved on them.

Armadimon spoke up, "Now we know for certain that the Digimentals belong to Hikari and Takeru gyaa."

The blonde looked at his Digimental and fidgeted. "What if it rejects me? You saw what happened to Taichi-san and the others."

"You won't know unless you try, Takeru-kun," Hikari stepped forward and lifted her artefact. It was lifted easily like she hoped. Smiling at her old friend, she prompted, "Go on and give it a try."

Takeru nodded and did so. The bronze artefact weighed close to nothing, unlike the time he tried to lift the Digimental of Courage. "I guess it's really mine after all," he said happily. Simultaneously, Hikari's Digivice as well as his transformed into newer models. The old whites where now replaced with green and pink gripped D3s. Iori voiced their surprise for them, "Wow, now your Digivices are like ours."

Takeru looked at his old friend, confused and unsure by what it meant. "But our brothers… What does this mean for us?"

"Maybe we are special?" Hikari suggested

Davis clapped and interrupted, "Yes it's very curious but right now, let's get out of here before the Kaiser finds us and causes trouble again. We will figure this out once we get out of here." The others agreed and they made their way back to the entrance. However, the Kaiser was already waiting for them outside with four red dinosaur Digimon.

"Well, you just don't seem to learn, do you? You're not welcome here. This territory is mine."

Davis narrowed his eyes, "We will come and go as we wish. We are Chosen Children who possess the Digivices that allow us to enter the Digital World. You must be a Chosen too, if you can travel freely like us."

The Kaiser laughed. "Yes, I'm a Chosen. But not losers like you. I have brains and lots of strategies, unlike you."

Miyako blew a raspberry at him. "Is that why you keep losing to us losers? Hah!"

Snapping his fingers, the Kaiser said, "Not anymore. Tyrannomon, attack!" The dinosaurs moved in for the kill. Davis, Iori and Miyako evolved their partners to face the threat. Each of them took on a Tyrannomon except for Holsmon, whose agility and flight abilities allowed him to face more than one.

Takeru and Hikari were about to evolve their partners too but were stopped by Davis. "We have the element of surprise here. Let's not spoil it yet. For now, get out of here. We'll distract the Tyrannomon." The duo nodded hesitantly and hurried off from the battle. Their escape didn't go unnoticed by the Kaiser for he called off one of the Tyrannomon fighting Holsmon and sent it after the Chosen of Light and Hope.

"I don't know what you were thinking, sending them away. They won't be able to beat an adult Digimon in their state. I intend to see how long you will keep fighting," the Kaiser said arrogantly. _You will surrender if your precious Digimon can't fight any longer. I'd give you as much as 10 minutes before you're worn out._

Davis snarled but inside he was confident that Hikari and Takeru would be fine. He had anticipated that the Kaiser would send a soldier after his friends, meaning that they had less opponents on their plates and would be able to stall for more time. He turned his attention towards the skirmish between the Partner Digimon of the Chosen Children and the slaves of the Digimon Kaiser.

Holsmon circled his opponent, skilfully dodging the fireballs shot at him. His attacks didn't seem to do much damage and the Tyrannomon's constant movement kept causing him to miss the Evil Ring on its neck. Digmon seemed to have the upper hand for his enemy had a foot stuck in the fissure caused by his Big Crack attack. However, the dinosaur freed itself not long after and began chasing the insect Digimon. Davis' own partner was engaged in a fire fight, literally. The two combatants both shot balls of flame at each other while trying not to get hit.

The battle wasn't exactly fair, for Armour-Evolved Digimon had reasonably lower power than normal Adult levels. Still, the Chosen Children's Digimon fought valiantly. Before long, they were forced to retreat to the edge of a cliff. Davis gritted his teeth. His friends had nowhere to run and their partners lay unconscious in their arms, completely exhausted from the futile effort to defeat the Kaiser's soldiers.

 _Come on, Hikari. Where are you and Takeru?_

As if they had heard him, two flying creatures soared towards them. As they approached, he could make out the shape of a sphinx and a Pegasus. "Daisuke-kun!" he heard Hikari shout from on top her partner Nefertimon. They landed in front of him and got off to check on their friends. Takeru attended to Iori and Miyako whereas Hikari went to Davis.

"Flying horse, eh?" He said cheekily. Pegasmon rolled his eyes while Hikari giggled.

Davis got up, grinning although he was worried. While they fresh reinforcements, they were still out numbered. Meanwhile, the Kaiser was surprised and mildly annoyed. "So you managed to defeat one of my slaves. Big deal. Tyrannomon, finish them off!"

Davis tensed, but Hikari put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She called Takeru's name, jerking her head at the approaching Tyrannomon. The blond boy nodded. Turning towards their partners, they said in unison, "You know what to do." Nefertimon and Pegasmon took off with a few powerful flaps of their wings, creating a gust of wind. The mythical Digimon circled the Tyrannomon, looking for an opening.

Pegasmon swooped in, kicked the red dinosaurs in their snouts and retreated. Nefertimon did the same, except she clawed at their faces leaving angry scratch marks. This only irritated the Tyrannomon, and they spat fire at their attackers who nimbly dodged the fireballs.

The Kaiser grew less patient by the minute. "What are you stupid dinosaurs doing? Finish them off already!"

Sensing that it was time to end the battle, the Pegasus signalled to his Sphinx counterpart. She agreed, "Okay, let's do this. Sanctuary Bind!" Their fore gauntlets glowed and together they bound the Kaiser's Digimon in an energy loop. Trapped, the Evil Rings on the Tyrannomons' necks became stationary targets.

"Needle Rain!" Pegasmon cried.

"Nile Jewellery!" Nefertimon declared.

The attacks hit the targets at point blank range. With the Evil Rings destroyed, the Tyrannomon were free. They sat up and glanced around confusedly. One even asked, "Where's my breakfast?"

Clicking his tongue angrily, the Kaiser retreated before the Chosen Children turned their attention towards him. _You win this time, but I'll get you back._

* * *

Back in the real world, it was already sunset. The Chosen Children returned to the computer room, this time miraculously not in a dogpile. Miyako puffed her cheeks, "We won again but the Kaiser is really getting on my nerves." Iori nodded in agreement, "He almost defeated us. We can't let our guard down."

Takeru tried to cheer them up, "At least we have more Digimon that can fight back now. We won't be easy to beat."

Patamon chirped from above his head _,_ "That's right, now we have new Armour Evolutions we won't be liabilities anymore."

Daisuke sniggered, "Yes, Mr. Flying-Bat-Pig-Turns-Flying-Horse. Apparently barn animals can fly now. We will be unstoppable, with the power of airborne livestock."

Takeru and Hikari found it extremely funny. Even Tailmon chuckled lightly at the joke made in the expense of her friend but Iori, Miyako and their partners were left in the dark. It wasn't until the former trio explained the joke that they all burst out laughing. Poor Patamon protested, "I'm not a bat-pig! I'm a hamster!"

Grabbing his stuff and placing Chibimon in his bag, Davis turned to leave. "Yeah I'm sure you are. Are you guys ready to go or not? It's late."

Blinking in realisation, the others scrambled and packed before heading out.

* * *

Ken sighed in annoyance as he sat in his room. He had just lost another battle with a bunch of _imbeciles._ How could FOUR Tyrannomon have lost? Fladramon wasn't supposed to be effective against them at all, while the others should have been weaker. His breakdown of the Armour Level couldn't have been wrong. They were supposed to be weaker than normal Adult Level Digimon. Perhaps he should have sent one more Tyrannomon.

 _Why am I getting so worked up on this? It's just a game after all._

But he realised that he didn't want to lose, and that everything should be given full effort. That was how he became top student. That was how he won all those tournaments. Of course, it helped that he was already a genius, or almost one.

He wanted to be the winner.

Smirking, he decided that he would allow his enemies some time to enjoy their victory. After all, he could always sick something worse on them.

Besides, he had Dark Towers to control Evolution. They were spread all over the Digimon World, located in strategic places for maximum area of effect. That way he saved himself a lot of time and labour (though it wasn't like _he_ was the one doing the work).

Browsing through his folders, he found something that surprised him pleasantly. There were numerous projects that were in progress. He checked the data inside and what he saw delighted him even further.

 _This could turn the tide. I would be invincible. This game really is fun, kudos to whoever came up with this. Heck, with this I don't even need to bother myself with those people._

"Ken, it's time for dinner!" His mother knocked on his door and called.

"Coming," Ken answered. Cricking his neck, Ken gave the data one last look before he minimised the file. He stood up and glanced at the chessboard next to him. The pieces were arranged in starting positions. After a moment, he moved his white pawn two boxes forward.

Then he left his room, switching of the monitor as he exited. One his mind were three folders named:

PROJECT DARK EVOLUTION,

PROJECT CHIMERA,

And finally,

PROJECT APOCALYPSE.

* * *

The next few days were spent by the Chosen Children on freeing the Digimon captured by the Kaiser. They went on raids, targeting prisons with the most captives. The first mission to free the Betamon was their toughest, but they slowly gained experience and confidence.

Taichi decided to tag along with the new group, replacing Miyako whom Koushiro had insisted stay behind to learn more about operating in the real world. Their current mission was rescuing the Gotsumon. The prison had only a few Vegiemon guards which the partnered Digimon took out without breaking a sweat.

The team managed to get them to the forest, where hiding was easier. They all paused to catch their breath from running. Takeru spoke up, "That was strangely easy. The security was low, and the Vegiemon seemed half-hearted in stopping us."

Armadimon grunted, "Maybe they knew they were outnumbered so they put up an act to show like they did fight back gyaa?" Iori agreed with his partner. "So that they can tell the Kaiser that they tried to stop us."

Taichi shook his head. "I don't think so, Iori. I think the Kaiser didn't want these Gotsumon, and he didn't want to free them, so he merely set up an easy prison for us to break in. He didn't want to waste energy and resources on protecting them."

The Gotsumon were outraged. "What, we're not worth his attention now?"

"Screw the Kaiser!"

"After putting us through hell, he decides to just free us?"

"No, I don't think it's that simple," Everybody fell silent and turned to Davis. He wore a serious expression on his face. "I think it's because he has something else planned."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. I just have a feeling. I can't explain it. We're doing what we can, but are we hitting the target?"

The silence was heavy. Hikari chose to break it. "Well, at least we're doing something. It's better than standing by and not helping, right?"

"It's not about doing _something_. It's about doing the _right thing._ While we're doing this, who knows what the Kaiser is up to. It's a _distraction,_ Hikari. Sacrificing the pawn to clear the path, like in chess," Davis said softly.

Taichi fumed. _Daisuke is right, we have to step things up,_ he thought."We have distributed our partners to protect the various Digimon clans. They should be able to keep an eye on the Kaiser, maybe eavesdrop on his goons. For now, let's just get home."

The others made sounds of agreement and they walked into the woods, towards the TV set. Davis lagged behind, deep in thought. Next to him, Tailmon stopped. She gazed at the looming Dark Tower. The boy paused in his tracks as well. "You noticed that too huh? The Dark Towers are always where a Digimon City or prison is," he pointed out.

"Yes, I noticed." Tailmon had to give the maroon haired boy credit. He was pretty observant. "I wonder if they have anything to do with stopping evolution."

Davis looked down at the feline Digimon. "That's a really good question. This is really something for us to observe and find out."

"Tailmon, Daisuke-kun, hurry up!" Hikari called. Taichi stood next to the TV set, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Okay, we're coming," Davis answered. He and Tailmon jogged towards the group. "What are we going to do with the Gotsumon?"

"We can't leave them here in the forest. Gotsumon are rock Digimon and this isn't their natural habitat. So Takeru suggested that we bring them to the real world," Patamon explained.

"And just what are you going to do when they're in the real world?"

"I don't know, ask Takeru."

Takeru blanched. "Eh… I haven't really thought about that," he said sheepishly.

Taichi saved him the embarrassment. "We are going to hide them in the real world first. After that, we'll find a portal to a safe location and let them take refuge there."

"What if they're discovered back home?" This time Iori was the one who asked. Davis looked at Taichi for an explanation as well.

To their surprise, the older teen grinned. "That won't be a problem. They can become pretty convincing statues." The rock Digimon all posed and froze in different positions, to prove his point. One of them made an obscene gesture, resembling a rude statue while another passed off as a crude body part.

This drew varied instantaneous reactions from the humans and Chosen Digimon.

The male Digimon gagged. Tailmon's eye twitched. Takeru and Davis couldn't help but snicker and break out into laughter. Iori had a disgusted look on his face while Taichi hurriedly covered his sister's eyes. "You two," he pointed at the offending Digimon with his free hand. "Whatever you do, do NOT pose like that in the human world," Taichi shouted.

The Gotsumon unfroze and pouted. Well, as well as rocks could pout, that is.

They all laughed heartily and returned to the real world.

* * *

Yamato stood outside the performance hall, in front of a window pane. He just finished another one of his performances and was sipping a soda as he enjoyed the view. His brother held a local soft drink, sitting comfortably on the sofa. "That was a great show, brother. Except you sang off key for a second in the last song."

Yamato grimaced at the thought. "Yeah, I know I did. If even _you_ noticed that, then it must have been obvious."

Takeru made a face. "Brother, please don't insult my musical abilities. I may not be able to play an instrument well but that doesn't mean I can't listen well."

Ishida Yamato sat down next to Takeru and elbowed him. "I'm not belittling you. I'm just stating the facts," the teenager winked.

"Thanks a lot." Takeru rolled his eyes.

"So have you thought of what to do with the Gotsumon you brought back? They can't hide forever, you know."

Takeru sighed. "I know. Koushiro is still trying to locate a place for them."

"Oh, there you are!" A female voice squealed, interrupting their conversation. Soon, a maroon haired girl bounded up to the blond duo, holding a CD box and a fine permanent marker. "I'm a big fan of yours, Yamato-kun. Could you sign my CD cover please?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Sure, why not?" Yamato stood up, took the marker and signed it. _Best of luck, from Ishida Yamato._ "What's your name?" he asked as he handed her the CD case and pen.

"Oh, I'm Jun. Motomiya Jun. Thank you so much!" Jun hugged the autograph tightly, almost jumping with glee.

Takeru sat forward, interested. "Motomiya? Could you by chance be related to Daisuke-kun? He's my classmate."

Jun cocked her head. "Yeah I'm his older sister." Then she grinned and said, "You're Yamato-kun's brother? You're so cute! Sign my CD as well please!" Takeru hesitated briefly before he accepted the marker and the box.

"I wish I had a brother as talented like you two. Daisuke can be an idiot sometimes. And he's not even cool-looking," Jun said. "All he does is screw things up."

Takeru wanted to reply that Daisuke wasn't a bumbling person but instead was a capable one, but he stopped himself. He couldn't defend his leader without revealing what they did every afternoon. "Aren't you being too harsh on him? He seems fine lately." He gave the signed box back to Jun.

The girl touched her chin. "Yeah, come to think of it he seems different now. He doesn't complain when I snatch the TV remote from him, much less fight for it. Instead he asks me to record his show and goes to his room. That's really not the Daisuke I know…" she murmured, troubled.

Yamato and Takeru shared a look. Neither knew Daisuke very well, although Takeru had heard from Hikari that the goggle-head was indeed acting differently.

" _He used to be confident, silly and funny. Now he's… well, as you see him" Hikari had told her blond friend._

A beeping sound came from Yamato's Digivice. Takeru had received an email from Daisuke as well. "It's a message from Daisuke-kun," he exclaimed. "Gabumon needs help. Gathering now," he read out loud. The Ishida was immediately ready to go.

 _My partner is in danger._

The two brothers excused themselves from Jun and they hurried to the computer lab, running as fast as they could.

It didn't take long for them to reach, for the performance hall was only a few streets away.

"We're here. What's the problem this time? Where is Gabumon?" Yamato practically yelled.

Davis raised his hands defensively. "Whoa, slow down. Miyako has just located Gabumon, and the coordinates have been set. We're ready to go any moment now… Who are you again?"

Takeru realised that his brother had not been formally introduced. "Everybody, this is my brother, Yamato." The Ishida nodded politely.

Miyako squealed. "Ishida Yamato of the Teenage Wolves! You're Takeru's older brother? How cool is that!" Iori, who was holding Upamon and feeding him Chu-Chu juice like a baby, bowed. "Nice to meet you, Yamato-san."

Davis snapped his fingers. "That's you, isn't it? Jun is a major fan of yours. She keeps going on about how great your hair is."

Yamato sweat-dropped, having met Davis' eccentric sister. "Right… pleased to meet you. Now can we get going? Gabumon just sent a distress signal, so we can get to knowing each other better later."

Miyako said, "I won't be going with you. Koushiro has my Digivice and he promised to teach me more about it while you're gone. He called it a D3."

Poromon bounced on the table. "I'll be in charge of the computer while Miyako-san is out."

Hikari smiled. "Okay, just leave it to us." Davis was unsure about leaving the computer room and their only means of leaving the Digital World in the hands of a Digimon that couldn't be seen in public though.

In a bright flash the room was cleared except for Miyako and Poromon, and the latter left after a moment.

* * *

The Chosen Children ended up on the shores of a river. The first thing that caught their sight was a beaten up Gabumon, who lay unconscious on the ground. Yamato shook his partner awake and soon enough he did.

"Yamato-san… You're here." Gabumon winced as he sat up. "You got my SOS signal?"

"Yeah, I did. Are you going to be alright?" Yamato asked concernedly. Gabumon nodded, then he remembered how he ended up like this. The running, the sting of the whip against his side, the impact of a club to his back… Suddenly his wounds seemed hurt more.

"The Kaiser, he took the Roman City. The Gazimon… they were all taken prisoner. I tried to lead an escape but we were recaptured. The warden RedVegiemon punished me… He beat me up and threw me off the cliff."

Gabumon pointed at the peak, where a black obelisk stood. "They carry out all punishments at the peak of the mountain. I wonder how the Gazimon are… I failed my job," he said miserably.

Yamato patted his partner's back. "Don't take it out on yourself. We're here to help. We're going to retake the city and free the prisoners," He said sternly. The Digimon shouted words of agreement, all of them ready to kick some serious booty.

Davis cleared his throat. "Well then, let's get going."

The team made it to the edge of the clearing, where they hid in the bushes there were a few yellow Vegiemon on patrol, picking on the occasional Gazimon that took a break from work. Gabumon looked ready to lunge.

"Vermin… I'll take you all out," he growled.

"At ease, partner. You wouldn't be able to defeat a single Vegiemon in your condition, much less a gang of them if you're caught."

Hikari asked, "Where's the prison? We'll get the captured ones to safety first." Gabumon pointed to a grey building at the more isolated part of the town.

"Wait, Hikari. We can't just storm in there and break them out. Soon the guards will swarm in and overpower us. We need a distraction to split their forces. Divide and conquer," Davis said.

Yamato nodded. He could see whyTaichi chose this boy to lead them. He wasn't too impulsive. "So what do you propose?" he asked.

"Aerial assault."

"What?"

"Aerial assault," Davis explained, "means Hikari and Takeru who have flying Digimon will swoop in and attack some random parts of the city. Since you'll be flying they won't catch you easily. That will keep the troops busy while you, Iori and I will sneak in to break the prisoners out."

"Hold it right there, _attack the city_? That's crazy, Daisuke-kun!" Takeru exclaimed.

Davis rolled his eyes. "Of course not. You aim for the Vegiemon, duh. If you see an enemy, fire at will. Cover a larger range so that they can't hide. Forget the damage done; it can be repaired anyway."

There was a pregnant pause as the others contemplated the plan. Yamato frowned, as the plan was logical but he didn't agree with Daisuke disregarding the potential collateral damage that could be done. The streets weren't wide, so any Gazimon that got in the way could get injured as well.

"I don't like it, but that's the best bet we've got right now. Let's go," the aspiring musician said. Takeru and Hikari headed off on their own, but Yamato placed a hand on Davis' shoulder. "Be careful with your plans, Daisuke. If you're willing to take such risks then I don't know what else you might sacrifice in dire situations. This attitude of yours may well be your downfall someday. If that happens, make sure you don't put the others in danger," he warned the goggle-head.

Davis regarded him for a second before replying, "I'll bear that in mind."

* * *

The prison break was the easy part. The escaping part? Not so much.

"There are Vegiemon everywhere! And I don't even like vegetables cooked, much less raw," V-mon complained as he struck another Vegiemon down with a Bunbun (Buzzing) Punch.

"Just a while longer. There were more guards stationed here than I expected." Davis jumped as a Vegiemon threw a piece of poop at him. "How are they even producing poop anyway? I thought vegetables don't excrete." He dodged another flying piece of pink waste. The stool flew through a window and hit a table fan out of sight.

"Rolling Stone!" Armadimon curled into a ball and bowled down the remaining Vegiemon on their tail, allowing the rescue squad and their refugees to put some distance between them and their captors.

Halfway up the mountain, Yamato stopped Davis. "Let's take a break, shall we? Everyone is tired from the run." Sure enough, Iori sat down heavily on the slope to rest. The Gazimon were breathing heavily, while Davis himself felt exhaustion slowly creep up to him.

"Alright, we'll stop for a while. I'll email Hikari to tell her our location."

After a few minutes, the Chosen of Light and Hope arrived. "So how did it go?" Davis questioned.

"We tried to keep our attacks to a minimum. We only shot at Vegiemon, then we ran. We repeated the process a couple of times, then you called us in."

"How many Vegiemon did you strike down?"

Takeru answered after counting mentally. "About eight of them? They were scattered all over the place."

Davis turned to Gabumon. "And how many Vegiemon were stationed here?"

"Twenty, I think?" Gabumon said uncertainly.

Davis growled, frustrated. "No wonder we had so much trouble in our escape. Freaking twelve Vegiemon were after us. My plan was to have a huge commotion to draw most of the Vegiemon away. Instead you were playing sniper all this while!" he snapped at Hikari and Takeru.

Hikari took a step back, shocked and upset by the anger her friend was showing. This was the first time she had seen Daisuke so angry.

Takeru quickly defended her, "Hey, we were trying to minimise the damage. If we followed your plan, the city would be ruined. Someone might have gotten hurt!"

Davis got in his face and practically yelled, "And by doing that you almost compromised the mission! What would you do if V-Mon and Armadimon were taken out? WE are the only ones who have Digimon who can evolve and if half our squad is taken out, who would you have gotten to save us? Answer me!"

Takeru sputtered, unable to answer but he was saved by Yamato who pulled the two boys apart. "Enough! We can discuss this, but now is not the time. What matters most is we managed. The mission is not over. We have to escape."

Davis glared at Takeru before shrugging off Yamato's hand which rested on his shoulder. "Let's move. Break time is over." The Gazimon perked up, ready to get going.

Yamato scowled at the goggle-head's retreating back. "What's his problem?"

Hikari, who had been quiet all this time, said, "Daisuke-kun is right. We almost caused the mission to fail. It's our fault."

Tailmon tugged at the corner of her shorts. "No it's not. Don't blame yourself for this. You stuck to your ideals, not wanting to hurt anyone innocent or causing unnecessary damage. Daisuke is just being a jerk."

Hikari shook her head. "I know Daisuke-kun, and he is never gets this angry. He has reason to be so."

Iori asked, "Is Daisuke-san always this serious and cranky?"

The girl shook her head again, answering, "Not at all. He used to be really fun to be about. He's changed recently, and it scares me."

" _That's not the Daisuke I know…"_ Jun's words rang in Takeru and Yamato's minds. They would have to keep an eye on Daisuke after this was over.

"There you are! Get them!" Apparently during their break the Vegiemon, led by RedVegiemon had caught up with them, blocking off their escape path.

The Gazimon panicked. "No, they caught us!"

"We're doomed!"

"I don't wanna go back to jail!"

RedVegiemon sneered at Gabumon, "It seems you survived my 100 hit punishment. Don't worry, you'll get more of that later."

Davis scowled. _So much for escaping unnoticed._ "Everybody, evolve now!" They whipped out their Digivices and were about to yell Digimental Up when all Vegiemon each shot a Super Stinky Spray at them, causing them to choke and gag.

The Vegimon captured them easily, leading them to the top of the tower. RedVegiemon paced (or bounced in this case) in front of them just like a general. "Did you think you could attack this place, try to free my prisoners and get away without suffering the consequences?"

"Yes? I mean how hard could it be? You're just acting tough when you're actually a coward." V-Mon retorted as he struggled against the RedVegiemon's binding grip. The Chosen Children and their Digimon looked at him funnily. "V-mon, what are you doing?" Patamon managed to ask before a Vegiemon stuffed its pod-like hand into his mouth, muffling his voice.

V-Mon ignored him and continued, "That's right you overgrown cabbage! You think you're so tough? You can't even beat me in a fair fight!"

Davis caught on to his plan immediately. _Sneaky, V-mon. Very sneaky._

As V-mon hoped, the RedVegiemon took the bait and threw him onto the ground. "You dare challenge me? I will break your bones!" The red plant Digimon lashed out at V-Mon, who dodged it.

"Is that all you've got? Come on!" V-mon taunted, raising his fists in a fighting stance. RedVegiemon lashed out again, only to be blocked by the blue dragon. "You can do better than that!"

RedVegiemon smirked evilly. "Of course I can! Hazard Breath!"

A blast of foul gas shot at V-mon, paralysing him. His opponent took the chance to pummel him towards the Dark Tower. V-mon took hit after hit and on the 50th strike he crashed into the Dark Tower, cracking it slightly, and collapsed at the base of the Dark Tower,

Davis couldn't bear to watch his partner getting beat up anymore. Even the others looked away and covered their ears to avoid seeing the torture. "That's enough, V-mon. Stand down!"

V-mon looked at him weakly. "Daisuke…" he croaked.

"Hey, you! Leave him alone, you stinking piece of-" Davis let forward a string of curses so vulgar that even his friends were shocked.

"Daisuke-kun!" Hikari reprimanded. Yamato was impressed, however, with the boy's knowledge of profanities.

"How dare you insult me, you punk?!" RedVegiemon swung at Davis who shifted his position, allowing the pod to hit his Vegiemon captors. The yellow Digimon loosened their grip in pain and Davis shook them off, running towards V-mon. He knelt and cradled his badly bruised partner.

"Daisuke…" V-mon whimpered.

Davis held back his tears. "You idiot. What were you thinking?"

"Watch out, Daisuke-san!" Iori cried out. Davis turned in time to see a speeding pod coming right at his face. He jerked his head to the left, and the attack missed him by centimetres. Fortunately for him, he had missed RedVegiemon's most powerful blow yet.

The Dark Tower wasn't so lucky. The direct hit crashed into it, splitting its structure and causing a malfunction. Electricity crackled among its surface, raising the hairs on Davis' neck.

Gabumon felt an energy course through him. "Yamato-san, I can evolve now!" His partner grinned. "It's time to turn the tide!"

Immediately, RedVegimon found himself face to face with an apoplectic Garurumon. "B-but… Oh, no…"

Garurumon snarled at him, "Oh no for you indeed." The Vegiemon backed off in fear, releasing their captives.

RedVegiemon on the other hand wasn't one to stand down. "You cowards!" He attempted to take on Garurumon on his own, but was quickly pinned down. The wolf stared down hungrily at him. "No, please don't. Nonononono…. Argh!" RedVegiemon screamed as Garurumon bit down…

… on the Evil Ring and crushed it to bits.

The others, except Davis, wasted no time evolving their partners too. The Vegiemon were thrown into confusion, running helter-skelter. The Digimon picked on the fleeing Vegiemon, slowly reducing their numbers. A stray Gold Rush projectile from Digmon hit the Dark Tower, collapsing it and deactivating the Evil Rings.

And just like that, it was over. The Vegimon all looked around confusedly, wondering what they were doing. They slipped off the Evil Rings attached to them, freed from the Kaiser's control.

Garurumon instructed that the Evil Rings were gathered in a pile and he burned them to a crisp with a Garuru Fire. Meanwhile the Chosen Children gathered in front of the Dark Tower. "So this thing is what stops evolution… You were right, Tailmon," Davis said.

"Not just that, but it's the main control centre for Evil Rings," Tailmon add.

Takeru was visibly happy at the news. "Great! Now that we know the problem, we can find a solution."

Gabumon nodded as well. "This could change everything for us; we're no longer burdens that can't evolve. And the good news is, the Gazimon won't even have to leave their city. We now know how to strike against the Kaiser effectively." The grey Digimon cheered at that.

Davis hugged V-mon in his chest. "Now that that's settled, can we go now? Everybody needs rest." He was looking at the unconscious V-mon in his arms when he said 'everybody' and the others got the message. He turned tail and walked down towards the slope and back to the TV set, ready to depart for the Human World. The others followed him hurriedly.

On the way, Takeru caught up with Davis and apologised. "Hey Daisuke-kun, sorry about the mess Hikari-chan and I made earlier. It's just…"

Davis interrupted him, "I understand you have morals, and maybe I was a bit too rash with my plan. But here's something for you to think about: one day if you face a situation that require you to dismiss your ideals, will you be able to do it? Will you be able to set aside your beliefs for victory?"

Takeru pursed his lips. "You sound like you know from experience."

"Nope, but I read a lot." Davis smirked. "Book have interesting subplots."

"Don't the heroes usually just cause a distraction? Like making an explosion or drawing fire from the enemies?"

Davis rolled his eyes. "Wasn't that what I told you to do?"

"You made it sound like you wanted to attack the city aggressively," Takeru objected.

"Did I?" Davis said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should clarify next time."

His companion shook his head. "I think you're taking this too seriously, Daisuke-kun."

Once everybody had arrived at the Digital Gate, Davis pointed his D-3 at the TV, and they were transported back home.

* * *

Koushiro and Miyako were waiting for the return of the Chosen Children from the Digital World. The Chosen of Knowledge had brought up a grid with black and white boxes scattered around on it.

"This is a map of the Digital World. The black ones are the areas conquered by the Digimon Kaiser, while the white ones are free.

"Look at this spot," he pointed towards a white box surrounded by blackened ones, "it marks the location you guys were at just now. It used to be black but now it's white. What did you do over there?"

Yamato answered for them. "We destroyed one of the Dark Towers set up by the Digimon Kaiser."

Koushiro nodded. "That must be it. The area turning white means you've freed it from the Kaiser's control. Now we have our strategy to go by."

"There are still a lot of black areas though. We have a long way to go," Iori pointed out.

"At least we know what to do and we're not aimless. We'll discuss this tomorrow, then we can figure out how we can manage," Davis summarised.

"Aye!" came the unanimous response and then, it was time to adjourn.

* * *

 _Later that night…_

"Daisuke? I want to ask you somethi— wait, are you reading Shakespeare?"

Davis looked up from his Japanese translated copy of Hamlet and turned towards his sister. "What is it, Jun?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chibimon freeze under the covers.

Jun looked amazed. "I don't believe it. You're actually reading?! Where did you even get that book anyway?"

Davis rolled his eyes and snorted. "I borrowed it from the library. Now if you're going to ask me meaningless questions, they can wait till I'm done with this," he said, picking up his books again.

"No, wait! Actually, I overheard Yamato and Takeru talking today. They spoke of something called a Gabumon in a message from you."

Davis grunted noncommittedly, being focused on his book. But when the words sank in, he looked at Jun sharply.

"Sorry, what?"

"Daisuke, tell me NOW. What is a Gabumon?

* * *

 _A/N: I hope I kept my standards up in this chapter too. Jun is up to something, how will Davis handle this?_

 _Now the original version of this chapter had some pretty heavy dialogue and I made Davis sound very angry. After some consideration, I decided to modify his character a bit. Davis can be a bit hot tempered, but not in the shounen sense. What I mean is he gets really pissed when something goes wrong._

 _I always liked the Doctor for his eccentric personality but turns into a rage monster when threatened. I think I wanted to model Davis after him._

 _Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed this long one. Leave a review, please!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Greetings! Well, I tried to cope writing with college and nuh-uh I failed. I might be able to type more on weekends but that's not guaranteed._

 _This chapter is only about half of episode 5, some parts were skived off to make way for extra scenes. I probably will do the same for future episodes, splitting them into half to give them more space to develop._

 _Lastly, to the reviewer under the name Piccolaamica (and her friend Lily), please feel free to review in Italian. I will find a way to translate the text and understand to the best I can. I would rather you give a detailed review in Italian that I can translate rather than receiving a short English response that I can't make sense of._

 _Enough said, let's enjoy this new chapter!_

* * *

CHAPTER 5:

 _Oh crap._

Davis stared slack-jawed at Jun. He had no idea how to explain the situation to her. For one, she wasn't supposed to know about his adventures. How she'd react to the information was another problem to keep in mind too. Then, he was beyond irritated that Takeru had messed up _again._

 _You're so going to get it tomorrow, Takeru. You're about to get the chewing out of your life._

"Are you sure you weren't hearing things? A message from me about… What's that again?"

"A Gabumon and no, I was pretty sure you were mentioned."

"Oh, it's just a game we played. It's nothing for you to worry about," he lied, but Jun was not convinced. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Very funny, Daisuke. I saw the look on Yamato-kun and Takeru-kun's faces. They wouldn't be so worried if it were just a _game._ "

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and pulled Jun into his room. Locking the door, he motioned for her to sit on his chair. Quickly, he sat down on his bed and pulled the lump under the blanket closer to him. He paused to study Jun's face and began, "Alright then… What do you know about monsters?"

Jun cocked her head to the right. "You mean… Yeti? Godzilla?"

 _Mojyamon and Tyrannomon._

"Eh… close enough. What if I told you they were real?"

"I would tell you to lay off the comic books."

Davis sighed. "Then I suppose that there's no point in explaining to you that I have met creatures like that, but they are called Digimon."

Jun studied her brother's face. He wasn't lying, but it sounded pretty absurd to her.

"And I suppose this Gabumon is one of those… Digimon?"

Her brother nodded. "Would you like to meet one of them? However, I need you to keep your mouth shut about this."

"Okay." Jun was anxious now. It could all be a prank that Daisuke was pulling. He could act well at times.

"Jun… Meet my friend, Chibimon." Davis folded back the covers to reveal a slightly bruised Chibimon. The little guy hadn't recovered from the fight completely, but being a Digimon meant he had faster healing abilities than humans did.

"Hello. I'm Chibimon, Daisuke's partner." Chibimon waved his arm. Jun just stared intently at the Digimon before her. The silence was deafening.

"Um… Jun? Are you alive?" Davis asked hesitantly.

That brought her out of her daze. Her face changed from shock to disbelief and then a smile broke out. "Oh my gosh, you are so cuuuuuuuuute!" Jun drawled as she took Chibimon into her arms and began cuddling him. Chibimon gave Davis a look that clearly said _help me,_ wincing when Jun accidentally squeezed his bruised areas.

That was not the reaction Davis was bracing himself for. Nevertheless, it was better this way. He considered telling her about his adventures in the Digital World, but decided that it would be better left as a secret. He didn't want to freak Jun out about the dangerous experiences he had had.

"Right… So can you keep this a secret? I don't want anybody else finding out. Especially not mom and dad."

Jun pinched Chibimon's soft cheeks. "Alright, I'll keep it between us. But I want something in return for my secrecy," she said, eyes gleaming mischievously. She could use this opportunity to blackmail Daisuke, and she had dozens of requests in mind.

Davis wagged a finger. "Don't you get any crazy ideas. This is a request, not a bargain."

"Oh, that's a shame. You know I could _accidentally_ let slip that—"

"Fine! What do you want?" Davis scowled exasperatedly. He was backed into a corner.

"Get me… A date with Yamato-kun."

Davis face-palmed. "Of all the things, you had to choose that," he deadpanned. _Something that I might not possibly succeed in doing too._

Jun kissed Chibimon's forehead before placing him on the bed and left Davis' room. "Remember our deal, Daisuke. I look forward to my date with Yamato-kun," she said cheerfully on her way out.

Davis flopped down on his bed. Chibimon shivered and rubbed his sore body parts. "That was… not too enjoyable. I don't wanna go through that again. Is she always like that, Daisuke?" He got no response. "...Daisuke?"

The new leader of the Chosen Children had his mind on other things. Like how to arrange a date with Yamato for Jun, for instance.

"Damn it. If it weren't for Takeru, I wouldn't be in this mess." _That idiot is going to get what's coming at him._

* * *

Ken was at it again. The next day, he decided to conquer the snowy landscape that Gomamon was in charge of. It had been fairly easy. All he had to do was control two Adult level Digimon, Shellmon and Ebidramon, and the resident Gizamon were rounded up. The reason he wanted this area was because it had harsh weather and he doubted his enemies would try and retake this place, giving him permanent control.

Oh, how wrong he was.

The Kaiser ordered the Gizamon to carry the construction materials for the new prison. The Child level Digimon struggled to wade through the snow while trying to ignore the snowstorm hailing down on them. One of them slipped and fell, completely exhausted. The Kaiser kicked it, ordering it to rise and continue working.

"Don't you dare slack off, I want this prison completed quickly. Get back to work." The Gizamon didn't respond, but lay face down in the snow. "Get up, servant! That's an order." Bringing out his whip to strike the fallen Digimon, the Kaiser was stopped by Gomamon.

"Stop! Don't you see that he's unconscious? Whipping him won't wake him up. The Gizamon can't move easily on land. Everybody is tired from doing your dirty work, can't you see that?" Gomamon demanded.

The Kaiser looked at the other Gizamon and noticed that all of them were trying hard to keep awake. Sneering disgustedly, Ken asked Wormmon, "Do Digimon even get tired? I thought you could go on without rest?"

Wormmon rubbed his hands (or were they pinchers?) nervously, "We do need to rest, sleep, eat…"

Kaiser Ken sighed. Looks like he had no choice after all. "You may all take a break at this spot for five minutes. Get this one out of my sight." He nudged the unconscious Gizamon with his foot. The Digimon dragged their comrade into the group where they huddled together for warmth. Ken sneezed, the cold getting to him.

"Thank you, Ken-chan… They really needed the well-deserved break. Here's a jacket for you." Wormmon pulled a brown fur coat which Ken accepted and pulled over himself.

"I never thought the characters of this game would need a cool-down period. I mean it's a game and they're artificial intelligences, so why do they need to rest?"

Wormmon looked at Ken balefully. His partner thought that all of this was just a game, which meant he thought all characters were expendable. There wasn't any reason for him to care for the Digimon at all. The fact that he even showed a fragment of kindness by giving a five minute break to his servants was a breakthrough. He wouldn't have done so a few weeks ago. Instead, Ken would have probably work them till they drop and forcefully reanimate them with Evil Rings.

Luckily for him, Ken had phrased it more like a rhetorical question. The Kaiser surveyed the landscape, which was a glaring shade of white. The storm was showing no signs of slowing down. The prison was half-built as well; Ken doubted that it would be finished anytime soon.

While the Kaiser was deep in his thoughts, Gomamon snuck off to inform the Chosen Children. His white and light coloured fur made it easy to camouflage himself. However, this did not go unseen by Wormmon. When the two Digimon eyes met, Gomamon pleaded silently for the insect Digimon to let him go. Wormmon seemed to understand the message, for he nodded silently and distracted the Kaiser.

Gomamon crept away, and it would be ten minutes later before the Kaiser noticed the missing seal Digimon. Dismissing his disappearance, the Kaiser ordered the Gizamon to resume their work. After all, what damage could a single Child level Digimon do to his regime?

For the second time that day, Ken did not realise how wrong he was.

* * *

"Talk to me, Daisuke-kun. What is on your mind?"

Davis bit down his frustration, trying very hard not to snap at Hikari. After all, she wasn't the cause of it. The two of them were walking towards the computer room, but the silence between them was terse. Finally, Hikari had worked up the courage to ask what was bothering her friend.

"Many things, Hikari. First of all, Iori had the nerve to run off to his _kendo lessons_ ," he spat the words out, "when we were supposed to visit the Digital World. He seriously needs to get his priorities right. Takeru also screwed up, with his slip of tongue Jun now knows about Digimon. I was forced to reveal Chibimon to her. When I see him…" he trailed off, the threat evident in his voice.

"Don't worry about it, Daisuke-kun. Others knowing about Digimon isn't so big a problem. Our parents all know about our partners. Mom even buys food for Tailmon. It's better to let your family know about the Digimon. After all, they deserve to know what their children are up to," Hikari told Davis quickly, trying to calm him down.

Davis stopped, surprised at the news. His lips curled into a faint smile.

 _Turns out I don't owe Jun a favour anymore,_ the boy thought, _and Takeru just saved himself a lot of grief._

However, he had no intention of letting his parents know about Chibimon, but having Jun to cover up for him was not a bad idea.

Hikari continued, "As for Iori-kun… He is an obedient boy. There's no changing his mind though, not when responsibility is involved."

"Maybe, but he should learn to prioritize. The Digital World is in peril, but he worries about missing martial art classes," Davis said disapprovingly. However, Hikari noticed that his expression had lightened up a bit.

"Just like you've suddenly begun to prioritize your studies?" she teased. Daisuke had never been one for academic stuff. He cared more for sports, video games and food. She was surprised when he scored the highest in their previous test. The teacher had praised him, and their classmates had their jaws glued to the floor.

"Hey, don't blame me. Being last in the class doesn't appeal to me like it does to you," Davis countered jokingly, a smile gracing his face. Hikari relaxed, but something else was bothering her.

"Daisuke-kun… You've changed a lot over such a short time. I'm starting to think that I don't know you as well as I did before."

Davis eyed his friend warily. He wondered if she suspected anything about his true identity. It was logical since this Daisuke person would have been close friends with Hikari. He decided not to react to it. Instead, he put on a cheerful grin and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"If that's the case, then let's get to know each other better. I am Motomiya Daisuke, pleased to meet you," Davis curtsied.

Hikari laughed. "I am Yagami Hikari, nice to meet you too." The two began chatting about trifle matters, such as ice cream flavours and interests. The boy's mood had visibly lightened and his happiness was infectious. When they started talking about sports, Hikari remembered something her brother told her.

"I almost forgot, Daisuke-kun. My brother told me to remind you that soccer practice is tomorrow afternoon. He said you hadn't been present for the last session so you should go early to make up for it."

Davis nodded slowly. "Is that so? I'll be there." _So this_ _Daisuke guy likes sports a lot and doesn't care much about studies? Interesting._

Before they realisedit, the two of them had arrive at the computer room. Davis was about to open the door when Hikari spoke up, "Oh and Daisuke-kun?'

"Yeah?"

Hikari gently touched her friend's lips with her finger. She gazed into his eyes for a while, then she murmured, "Keep smiling. You looks good when you smile."

She slid the door open, not looking back. Naturally, she didn't see the smile that played on Davis' lips.

* * *

The Hida dojo had very few students. Well, technically Iori was the only student. A few came and went, but not many lasted. Iori didn't mind though, because fewer students meant that he could have more attention.

The boy attacked his master vigorously. He struck out at the _Men_ (face) multiple times. The force of the attacks drove the master backward, but none of the hit their mark. All were blocked and deflected. As the master took a final step that pushed him to the border of the ring, he sidestepped and finished with a strike to the _Do_ (body).

They called for a break and Iori knelt before his master. He wheezed tiredly as he wiped the sweat off his face. In front of him, his master removed his helmet and took a deep breath. He was an old man, incredibly fit for his age and almost as agile as he was in his younger days. The master of the dojo was none other than Iori's grandfather.

The old Hida took note of his grandson's bothered expression and asked, "What seems to be bothering you, Iori? Usually your mind is focused but today you seem troubled."

Davis' words played in Iori's mind.

" _So you're going to run off to Kendo just because you need to be responsible and keep to your schedule? The Digital World is your responsibility too!"_

Out loud, he said, "It's nothing."

"It doesn't seem to me like nothing."

Iori shook his head and put on his head protector. "It's fine, let's carry on." He readied his stance, prompting his grandfather to replicate the movement.

" _Men!"_

Iori unleashed his volley of strikes, which were all deflected again without difficulty. Old man Hida ended the match with yet another _Do_ strike. Iori called for a rematch. And lost. And then he lost again.

During their fourth sparring round, Grandpa Hida disarmed him with lightning reflexes and struck Iori's head gear. The match was over before it had begun. After performing a sheathing motion, the master bowed at his stunned disciple.

"We will stop now. You are unfocused and hence, unproductive. You will progress no further unless you face your problem."

"But Grandfather—"

"By not dealing with your problem, you are indirectly being irresponsible because it is affecting your other actions," the master said sternly.

Iori did not speak at first, feeling torn. "Grandfather, I have two equally important responsibilities to carry out at the same time. How can I know which one to choose?"

The wrinkles on his face creased as the old man smiled faintly. "I see… You have somewhere else to be, don't you?"

His grandson nodded.

"Then go, my boy. You're dismissed. We shall replace this class some other time."

"Really?"

"Yes, child. You will do no good to others and yourself if you can't be productive while doing this. You must be true to yourself and decide on your own what you want to do, or what you _must_ do. Go, be where you are needed."

Iori grinned. "Thank you, Sensei." He hustled off to change and bathe, while the old Hida watched him go.

Hida Chikara had suffered many losses. He used to be part of the army in World War II, sent to other parts of Asia to aid Japans conquest. By fate he had survived, and as he grew older the memories of the war began to fade. Chikara had never been a supporter of violence, but he had enlisted himself because his friends were part of the military. In the war, he had lost almost all his buddies. Even those who survived had passed on. The war had strengthened his resolve that force should never be used voluntarily on others, because in the end both sides would gain casualties, nothing else. Hence, he started a family of his own and built the Hida dojo, serving to teach Kendo as self-defence and never as offence.

But fate was cruel. It took his dear son, Hiro from him as well. By then, Chikara had already been hardened and never shed another tear. Instead he chose to be the father that young Iori never had, teaching him everything he taught Hiro. The old man glanced at the portrait of his deceased son sadly. "If only you could see your boy today, Hiro… He's becoming more like you with every passing day."

He took out a packet of Chu-Chu (or Chu X2) juice from his bag. Hiro used to love drinking it, and even the elderly man enjoyed the drink. Now, it was a family tradition for Chikara and Iori to drink it after a Kendo session. He heard Iori run past behind him, shouting "I'll be back soon!"

"Wait, Iori! Come here, my boy."

The young Hida paused and walked back to Chikara. He wore a fresh beige T-shirt and brown shorts. "Yes, grandfather?" He caught a packet drink which got tossed at him. He looked down and saw that it was his favourite Orange flavoured Chu X2.

His grandfather gave him a wrinkly smile. "Never forget to follow tradition," he said, holding up a Chu X2 Prune juice pack.

Iori beamed. "Thank you, grandfather. I'll be back soon."

"Oh, and your mother is making ohagi later. As usual, she's going to make so much that we won't be able to finish them. Would you like to invite some friends over?"

If it were possible, Iori's happy smile grew even wider. "Okay, I'll ask them later. Bye!" He ran out happily, hurrying to the computer room in Odiaba Elementary.

* * *

When he reached he slid the door open, panting heavily. "Sorry I'm late!"

The people inside the room turned to see him. His friends were all present with the addition of a tall blue haired, bespectacled teenager who wore a dark blue high school uniform. They all had their Digivices pointed to the computer screen.

"Well, look who decided to show up," Davis said curtly. His eyes watched Iori emotionlessly, but they did not hide the fact that he was disappointed with the Hida boy's earlier decision.

"Daisuke-kun, just let it go already. Iori-kun is here and that's all that matters," Hikari said tiredly. Davis tilted his head to look at her briefly, then he continued to regard Iori silently.

"Sorry, Daisuke-san. I regret my choice." Iori lowered his head.

"Where have you been, Iori?! How could you make me wait like this? We almost went to the Digital World without you!" Upamon ranted.

Iori gave his partner an apologetic look and addressed the senior Digidestined. "Hello, I don't think we have met. My name is Hida—" The introduction was cut off when the Digital Gate began to glow. Iori barely managed to get his D3 out, and the group was drawn into the Digital World.

* * *

The Chosen Children appeared on a snowy region. Thankfully, the storm had passed and they just treaded on fresh powdery snow. However, that did not stop them from shivering from the cold. Only Davis and Jyo were spared partially, since the former wore a jacket and the latter had a blazer on. Hikari felt the goose-bumps on her skin rise and her body tremble, trying to fight the cold. She was affected the worse since her outfit was thin and didn't completely cover her. Davis removed his jacket and handed it to her. The girl accepted it gratefully.

"Cold… So very cold…" Miyako stuttered through chattering teeth. Jyo immediately took out heat packs from his plastic bag and distributed them.

"So that's what was in the bag. No snacks for us…" V-mon pouted sadly. Tailmon rolled her eyes and bonked his head, wincing in pain when her paw collided with the dragon's hard skull. V-mon barely even flinched.

"Jyo-san, you haven't changed a bit. You still always come prepared," Takeru said. He used the heat pack to warm his body.

"Yeah, I remember Gomamon was in charge of a cold place so I brought some necessities to keep warm. It was lucky that I did, too"

Iori walked up to Jyo. "Sorry about just now. My name is Hida—" Yet again, he was interrupted. Gomamon pounced onto Jyo excitedly. Iori scowled, since that was the second time already. He heard Armadimon harrumph and glanced at his partner, but the armadillo Digimon looked away pointedly.

"Jyo! You're here! It's great to see you again!" Gomamon said cheerfully.

Jyo grinned and hugged his seal-like partner. "Yeah, it has been a long time. Why did you called us here? I don't think this is just a social call."

Gomamon's face fell. "You're right," he said. "The Kaiser took over my area not long ago. I need your help to free the Gizamon and my other friends. He built that tall black thing over there."

The Chosen Children looked over to where Jyo's partner was pointing. True to word, a Dark Tower stood threateningly across the snowy plain. It was an eyesore, seeing something black as night standing out against the sparkling white.

"Well, luckily for us, we know that Dark Towers are the source of our problems. All we have to do is destroy that blasted thing and Gomamon can Evolve to fight," Takeru said.

"But… We'll have to cross the plains and it's hard to move. We'll be sitting ducks for an ambush," Hikari pointed out.

Miyako turned to Jyo and asked, "Did you perhaps prepare skis and snowboards for us?"

Jyo sweat-dropped and laughed nervously. "Well, I didn't go that far…" He paused and heard Davis humming a song. "Why are you singing Jingle Bells?"

Davis gave him a cryptic smile. "I'm feeling the Christmas mood. Besides, what can we do with wood and snow? Any ideas, Jyo-san?" He rapped his knuckles on the tree he was leaning against.

Jyo stared at the tree for a few seconds, not understanding. Then his eyes widened as he realised what Davis was hinting at.

Miyako voiced his thoughts for him. "We should build a sled," she blurted out.

The Chosen of Honesty's eyes brightened. "Luckily I brought some rope. I had a feeling we would need it."

The Digimon began cutting down the pine trees. Armadimon clawed at the tree with Scratch Beat, tearing through the bark and exposing the lighter coloured-wood beneath. Next, Hawkmon used his Feather Slash attack which sliced through the wood easily, prompting Davis to wonder how a feather could deal so much damage. Finally, V-mon toppled the tree with a V-mon Head.

"Timber!" Jyo shouted and all the Chosen Children stepped out of the way to avoid being crushed. The three Digimon proceeded to the next tree.

Hikari looked at her partner. "Aren't you going to help them?" Takeru looked up at Patamon who was perched on his head.

"Nope, my attacks aren't strong enough to do anything."

"Same here. What can my Air Shot do?" To prove his point, Patamon unleashed a blast of air that did nothing but blow the snow off the leaves.

Takeru shrugged. "I guess we'll leave this job to the new Chosen then."

In no time at all, the DIY sled was completed. The Chosen admired their handiwork, no longer feeling the cold. The sled had a simple raft-like design, seven logs wide and held together by rope. A few leashes were attached so that the Digimon could pull the wooden transport.

"There are five ropes for each Digimon. That should be enough to haul the sled smoothly across the plain." Jyo said.

"Actually, I would suggest that we use Nefertimon, Pegasmon and Holsmon. Flying Digimon would stronger, so we can make it across the plain faster," Davis said.

"Yes, but the Armour Digimon are larger and easier to hit," Miyako argued.

"I think the speed we can achieve makes up for it. Size may be a problem but if we go fast we'll be safe. Our main mission is to destroy the Dark Tower, which automatically gives us victory."

Takeru decided to present his argument. "Then why don't we just send our Flying type Digimon over? It'll save us a lot of trouble."

"And let allow yourselves to be defenceless if you fail? How are we going to reach you then? Have you learned nothing from our previous Divide and Conquer strategy?" Davis countered. Takeru shut up immediately, but raised an eyebrow. His expression darkened, and Davis realised he was being rude. Even Hikari was looking upset at him.

"Sorry, I got carried away…"

"Anyway, Daisuke has a point. Our only option will be to travel fast. However, we will not be defenceless. One of the flying Digimon will be keeping an eye from high above instead." Jyo suggested. The others thought for a moment then nodded in consent.

"I'll go with Holsmon as your sky guard." Miyako volunteered. "After all, I want to go flying again. We can communicate using our D-3's like this." She showed the rest how to activate the Walkie-Talkie function on their Digivices the way Koushiro taught her the other day.

Davis grunted in confirmation. "Then it's settled. Let's go!"

* * *

Ken sipped his hot chocolate (which was brought by Wormmon in a flask from Base) contentedly. His prison was finished, and the area was his. Now, he leaned against a tree, contemplating his next move. The other Chosen Children shouldn't attempt to retake this place anytime soon, so it was time to kick back and relax. Then, something moving at high speeds in the distance caught his eye. He squinted and realised it was a sled pulled by two flying Digimon.

Ken almost choked on his drink. He spotted a blue haired older boy holding a white seal in his arms.

"So that's where that little punk snuck off to. He went to get help," the Kaiser muttered. He turned to Wormmon who was munching blissfully on a doughnut next to him. "Are the Yukidarumon all captured?"

Wormmon looked up from his food and nodded. "Yes, they're stationed around the Dark Tower."

"Good. Have them ready for my order to fire." Ken finished his hot chocolate and set the empty flask on the ground. He slid down the icy slope and stood ten feet in front of the Dark Tower. He let the sled carrying Chosen Children approach him.

* * *

Davis held on tightly to the sled, V-mon clinging to his chest. Nefertimon and Pegasmon were pulling the transport faster than he had expected. Next to him, Takeru and Hikari grabbed onto the sides to hold steady. Iori was trying not to fall off as well, while Jyo looked pale. Gomamon was the only one enjoying the, swooning excitedly.

"This was your idea!" Takeru shouted.

Davis grimaced. "The bright side is we're getting to our destination very quickly," he said. The Dark Tower was growing taller as they sped towards it. Suddenly, Davis spotted a small figure standing in their way. Miyako informed that it was the Kaiser, standing still as a statue.

"What is he doing? Is he trying to get run over?" Hikari exclaimed.

"I think he is," Davis replied, confused.

The distance between the moving sled and the Kaiser was decreasing rapidly. In a few seconds, they would crash.

"Quick, go left!" Davis shouted frantically to their flying steeds. The Digimon veered left and the Chosen had to hold on harder to prevent themselves from being thrown off. They managed to steer away from the Kaiser, who gave them a smug look as they passed. They heard a yell and felt shots of ice and snow fly past their heads and into the mountain before them. The surface of the slope crumbled, causing an avalanche.

As the snow came crashing down, it was a race against time for the Chosen. Nefertimon and Pegasmon picked up speed, trying to outrun the avalanche. They came up to a ledge, but they didn't stop. The flying steeds accelerated again, pulling the sled over the edge. For a scary few seconds, the sled was airborne. Davis dared to look down at the deep chasm below them, feeling slightly sick, then the sled was back on solid ground. However they weren't out of trouble because they had come up to another cliff.

"Stop now, Pegasmon, Nefertimon!" Pegasmon heard Takeru's order and stopped a tenth of a second before Nefertimon, and the sled skidded to a stop right before the cliff bank of a gushing river. Miyako landed next to them, checking to see if everyone was alright.

Davis walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked across the chasm at the Kaiser who was patting the Dark Tower whilst giving him a gleeful smirk, as if to say _how predictable_. The leader of the Chosen clenched his fists. "Darn, he exploited our weakness…" At the same time, he was secretly astounded, impressed even that the Kaiser would dare such a dangerous stunt. Had they not stopped in time, the Kaiser would have been roadkill. Still, knowing the Kaiser, he would have had a backup plan.

V-mon was voicing his discontent. He shook his fist angrily, yelling, "You cowardly cheater!"

Ken merely barked some orders to the Yukidarumon, who fired blasts of ice at the Chosen Children. Nefertimon, Pegasmon and Holsmon hurried forward to shield their partners. Jyo cowered behind them as well. Davis dropped onto the ground on all fours and pulled V-mon down with him. Iori weren't so lucky. A shot hit the ground in front of him, creating an explosion of snow and ice. The boy took a step back and missed his footing, causing him to slip and tumble down into the river below.

"Iori, no!" Armadimon cried out, all pretence of being annoyed with his partner gone. All he felt was fear for Iori's life.

At the other side, Ken noticed this and called for a ceasefire. The Yukidarumon stopped shooting and stood still, waiting for further instructions. The Kaiser watched as Gomamon leapt off the bank to retrieve the fallen child.

"Fall back. We will retreat for now." The Yukidarumon backed off and out of sight. Ken sent the Chosen Children a mild look of concern before turning and leaving.

Davis caught the look and was taken aback. He had never thought that the Kaiser would ever show mercy or had any sense of fair play. This was confusing and intriguing indeed. He heard cheers and ran over to his friends. He saw Gomamon and a school of fishes carrying a shivering Iori. Davis exhaled in relief.

"Meet me downstream! There's a cave that we can take shelter in." Gomamon called over the sound of gushing water.

Davis nodded and took the lead. "Alright, everybody. Let's get going!" he said and they all proceeded to the place Gomamon had told them about.

* * *

 _A/N: And there we go. I hope the Davis and Hikari part wasn't too awkward. I tried, I tried. I used to be a great Daikari fan. Davis is really a character I can relate to (even now) because we are alike in many ways. Just… sigh, not everybody gets that early happy ending._

 _Hopefully those of you who have just read this story will read my other, Daisuke: MotOS. They're complementary stories that may answer any questions you have, so it is recommended to read both._

 _Please, leave a review and follow my stories. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Welcome Sadhelm2 to my stories. It's great having you here. Fellow readers, you might want to check out his works if you haven't already. Anyway, thank you to BreakingWays, Mists, The Food Dude, NatNicole and the Piccolas for reviewing. Here's another chapter for you guys_ _Oh and to guest readers, I hope you can make an account or login so that I can PM you. It's quite frustrating not being able to answer your questions._

 _Enough of the notes, let's roll!_

 _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON, BUT I OWN ANYTHING I MADE UP._

 _P.s. the disclaimer is kind of stupid because this is FANFICTION. We're supposed to have free access to various sources: movie lines, lyrics, ideas etc. I still don't get it._

* * *

CHAPTER 6:

Gomamon led them to a small hidey hole downstream. It was his usual sleeping spot, which also served as a hiding place. The cave was dark and damp, but not as cold as the environment outside. V-Mon Armor Evolved into Fladramon and lit a fire using some wood that they found near the entrance.

The Chosen huddled around the fire, trying to catch as much warmth as they could. Iori sat the closest to the fire, holding his palms out and rubbing them, his body shivering. His beige clothes spread on the floor, while the boy himself wore Davis' jacket. Hikari had passed the piece of clothing to Iori so that he didn't have to wear his wet clothes, but not before getting Davis' consent.

"Well, it's better for Iori to have it. He's the youngest and we can't have him catching a cold now," Davis had stated simply.

"Don't worry, I've got that covered." Jyo brought out some flu medicine from the bag of his and gave some to Iori. "The rest of you had better take some too."

Miyako's jaw dropped. "What else do you have in that bag, Jyo-senpai? Do you have anything that can help us defeat the Kaiser?"

Jyo shook his head. "No, only basic items. I brought medicine, heat packs, rope, a first aid kit, and water."

Hikari spoke up. "What now? Iori-kun can't go around like that."

"It's up to us then. We'll take out that Tower by ourselves." Takeru answered.

Jyo nodded. "Good luck. I'll stay here and watch over Iori-kun."

The brown haired boy struggled to his feet, ignoring the shivering in his legs. "No, I can't just sit around here doing nothing. My grandfather halted the Kendo lesson just so that I could be here. If I don't do my job as a Chosen, I won't be able to face him. I will carry out my responsibility." He glanced at Davis when he said his last sentence.

"But that's ridiculous! You can't force yourself!" Hikari exclaimed worriedly.

The spiky haired leader's gaze fell on the young boy's countenance. The Hida child had a determined look and his eyes had fire in them. He was not going to give up so easily. Davis decided to talk to him.

"Guys… can you please wait outside for a while? I have to have a chat with Iori here," he said to Hikari, Takeru and Miyako.

Hikari opened her mouth to argue but Takeru placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Miyako snorted, muttering under her breath about how Daisuke acts bossy at times. The trio left to the exit.

Davis turned to address Iori. He spoke softly, "Iori, you don't have to push yourself. You're in no condition to help, even though I know you want to."

Iori wasn't fazed by his leader's attempts to dissuade him. "But you were the one who said it was our responsibility, _my_ responsibility. Not doing anything is the same as abandoning my duty!"

Davis felt the accusation sting slightly. Jyo answered for him. "Yes, I know you take your job seriously, but you will not be doing us a favour by getting sick. If you're ill, how are you going to help later on? It's best that you stay here and rest." The words were kind but stern.

"That's right dagyaa. Your health is more important, Iori." Armadimon begged his partner to stay. After some thought, Iori finally relented.

"Alright… We'll leave it to you guys."

Davis nodded and got up. Before he left, he patted the younger boy's shoulder. "Don't worry, you didn't give up your duties as a Chosen Child at all. Like Hikari said, you're here and that's all that matters... Rest well." With that, he walked out to join the other three Chosen at the exit and they made their way to the Dark Tower. This time, they tied the reigns to the Child level Digimon instead, at Takeru's insistence. Davis didn't disagree; he had had enough high speeds for the day.

Iori sat down and warmed himself. He felt his clothes and found that they had dried mostly. He took of Davis' jacket and changed back into them. Armadimon trotted nervously up to his partner.

"Hey, Iori… I'm sorry for being rude just now gyaa… I didn't know your Kendo lessons meant that much to you gyaa."

Iori smiled. "It is okay, Armadimon. They may be important, but I felt guilty for not being here. Only after Grandfather let me leave did I realise how much I wanted to come to the Digital World, to be with you guys." He hugged his Digimon partner tightly, feeling happy for the first time since they arrived in the Digital World.

Jyo chuckled. "Oh, Iori-kun. I know how you feel. I was once like you, rigid and unwilling to stretch my schedule. Still am, admittedly," he said, unabashed.

"I always put things that were more important first, at least if they were more important to me. There was a time when I missed a dangerous situation for an entrance exam. Taichi-san and Yamato-san were fighting an evil Digimon on the Internet, one that almost caused a nuclear war. And to think I was just worried about passing the exams."

The older teen adjusted his glasses. "Koushiro-san told me about the incident and I felt bad that I wasn't there to help. I decided that I would try not to let that happen again. Today, I even skipped a practice test just to be here."

Iori gazed at the Chosen of Honesty in wonder. He didn't feel too bad anymore, but he was surprised that the older Chosen would pass up such an important thing just to be here.

"But what about your test, Jyo-san?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll explain that there was an emergency and I had to take leave. I'll sit for the replacement test later. Just like your Kendo lessons, Iori-kun." Jyo smiled at the younger boy. "You can replace them some other time, but you can't miss being here. That's how you prioritize and adjust your timetable. Remember, we may be called 'Chosen Children' but we are the ones who choose what we do."

Suddenly, Iori realised what Davis was trying to say. The team leader was trying to tell him that he could alter his schedule. When there were two important events occurring simultaneously, he had to select the more crucial one and delay the more flexible other. In this case, he could have told his grandfather earlier to change the time for Kendo lessons so that it didn't have to clash with his activities in Digital World.

"I see… Thank you, Jyo-san."

"You're welcome."

Then, the cave started shaking. Dust and bits of stone fell from the ceiling, a larger chunk fell onto the fire and scattered ember on the floor. Jyo grabbed his bag and ran to the entrance with Iori, their partners following behind. When they reached, they were met with the sight of the Kaiser standing next to a Shellmon. The humongous Digimon had an Evil Ring strapped to its forelimb, making its eyes glow blood-red.

The Kaiser smirked. "Guess that drew you out. Nothing like a little banging the wall to bring out the mice. Here's an opponent for you to battle." The enslaved Shellmon stepped forward and snorted. It made a low rumbling noise in its throat.

Gomamon leapt in front of his partner, and Armadimon did the same. Both of them were ready to fight to protect. The seal Digimon shouted at the Kaiser, "Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us in peace?"

Ken rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "Simple, I am on a conquest to rule the Digital World. You were just lucky enough to be in my targeted area. I lost a few of my captured locations because of you meddlesome people, so I think you deserve some payback. Shellmon, go!"

The hermit crab-like Digimon smashed its right paw at Gomamon, who nimbly leapt out of the way. The Adult Digimon attacked again, but the Child level sea lion was too agile. Armadimon tried to join in the battle by ramming into Shellmon using a Rolling Stone attack. Unfortunately, he got caught in the larger Digimon's paw. Shellmon slammed Armadimon into the ground, making him cry out in pain, then it threw the armadillo away. The Child Digimon crashed into the snow and struggled to get up.

"Armadimon!" Iori cried out and rushed to his partner Digimon's side. The partner in question got up to his feet wobbly, but his eyes shined with determination.

"Don't worry, Iori dagyaa… I will protect you!"

Iori's eyes teared up. There his partner was, fighting to make sure that they got out of this safely. The guilt he had been holding in built up in his chest. The feelings of regret for not putting Armaddimon and the Digital World first, the twinge of uneasiness that his grandfather had stopped the Kendo lesson halfway just so that he could be here, the touched emotions that his friends and partner cared for him burst forth, and the boy sobbed.

"Iori… Now's not the time to cry. We have to defeat the Kaiser and save the Digital World dagyaa," Armadimon said gently.

The boy rubbed his eyes and nodded. He held out his D-3 and shouted, "Digimental Up!"

A purple light engulfed Armadimon, beginning the evolution process. "Armadimon, Armor Evolve! Steel Knowledge, Digmon!"

Jyo stared at Digmon in awe. He had heard of Armor Evolution from the others, and had seen it a few times already but it never ceased to amaze him that other methods of Evolution existed outside of regular evolving. "Great, now we have a fighting chance!" He and Gomamon watched on as Digmon clashed with Shellmon.

Gomamon looked over at the Dark Tower that still stood solidly. "Man, if only I could evolve and fight…"

Jyo agreed with his partner. The Dark Tower was indeed a troublesome obstacle. It is possible that Digmon could win against Shellmon but they were actually just stalling for time. Once the Tower went down, all their problems would be solved. "Come on, Hikari-chan, Takeru-kun… Destroy that Dark Tower already."

* * *

The sled sped towards the Dark Tower for the second time that day. Pulled by V-mon, Hawkmon, Patamon and Tailmon, the speeds were considerably slower. Nevertheless, they made good progress. On the way, V-mon panted and complained, "Why do I have to pull the sled, and on all fours too? I was built for two legs and fighting, not for work like this!"

Davis snorted at his partner's words. "Sorry V-mon, but you need to help. Think of it as exercise."

"Humph, the only thing I'll do for exercise is giving those Yukidarumon solid punches to the face!" the dragon grumbled. His limbs dug into the powdery snow, pushing backwards to propel him forward. The rope around his waist dug into his hide, but he barely felt it over the tiredness that was slowly creeping into his hands and legs.

Patamon blew a raspberry at V-mon. "At least you don't have to pull like me. I have to drag this thing while trying to keep myself airborne. Flying is tiring enough because of my small wings, so quit complaining because you are getting off easy here!" He was visibly struggling too like V-mon.

"Then maybe you should lose some weight, you pig," V-mon shot back at him.

Patamon turned crimson with rage. "What's wrong with you and your partner? I said before, I'm not a pig!"

Hawkmon chuckled. "Well you sure act like one…" The flying hamster shot him a glare.

Tailmon's eye twitched in annoyance, as well as amusement that her old pal was the butt of jokes. "Cut it out, guys. We're coming up on the Tower. Be prepared to stop."

Sure enough, the black obelisk was growing in size. As they closed in, they could see numerous snowmen that stood guard. The Yukidarumon gazed emotionlessly at the intruders, their eyes glowing red. They had received orders from the Kaiser to protect the Dark Tower. Upon seeing the oncoming sleigh, they raised their fists, ready to fire any time.

The Chosen Digimon pulled to a halt before the Yukidarumon. Davis got off and V-mon shook off the ropes that reigned him to the transport. "V-mon… Here's your chance. Let's show them what happens when ice meets fire."

V-mon grinned and punched his palm. "Alright!" In no time, he Armor Evolved into Fladramon and charged at his snowmen opponents. They fired shots of ice and snow at him, but Fladramon was prepared for that. The first shot flew harmlessly over his head, making the lizard-man smirk at the lousy aim. The second and third came close but were easily dodged, a fourth was deflected and a few more sailed past completely.

Jumping on the centre guard, Fladramon reared his fist back and punched the Digimon square in the face, feeling some satisfaction at last. Then he somersaulted into the air and analysed his opponents' formation. They stood in a C-shape, the sides closing in. Some of them had Evil Rings strapped to their legs; the others wore them like wristbands. Aiming at the hands of his opponents, Fladramon let loose some Knuckle Fire shots. They that hit their targets, disintegrating the Rings and freeing the Digimon from the Kaiser's control.

Fladramon landed heavily in the snow. "That's two down… Five more to go."

Davis cheered his partner on, "That's how you do it! Keep it up!"

Next to him, Takeru gripped his green D-3. He turned to Hikari and Miyako and said, "Daisuke-kun is doing his part. Let's take out that Tower while Fladramon distracts the Yukidarumon!"

Nodding their heads in agreement, the three Chosen shouted, "Digimental Up!" Their partners glowed the blazing light of Armor Evolution like their reptilian comrade, re-emerging as full-fledged mythical beasts. They prepared to fire their attacks at the obelisk, but shots of ice stopped them in their tracks. Looking around, they couldn't detect the source of the attacks. Whoever had shot at them was camouflaged in the snow.

"That attack… It was a Yukidarumon!" Pegasmon said.

Nefertimon hovered next to him. "But we can't see where he is…"

"Then we will stay here and shoot. The Tower is within our attack range." Having said that, Holsmon's eyes began glow as he charged up a Red Sun attack. Suddenly, another ice attack flew past him, making him dodge and miss the attack. "Damn, we can't do anything from here either."

Miyako was very annoyed by now. First she had to come along to this freezing place (why couldn't the Kaiser have taken over a nice meadow for a change?), then Iori got drenched in cold water, now there were hidden troops that stopped their Digimon from completing their mission! "What are you doing, Holsmon?! Just charge in and get the job done already! The big tower is sitting there waiting for you to hit it!"

"But Miyako-san—"

"Come on, it's just some hidden troops shooting at you. All you have to do is fly fast enough so that they can't hit you! They can't hit all three of you while you're zooming around right?" the lavender haired girl shouted.

The griffin Digimon looked his partner uncertainly and sighed. He did as he was told, flanked by Nefertimon and Pegasmon. They charged up their attacks and when the ice attacks came towards them, they dodged and released their shots. Pegasmon's Silver Blaze managed to chip away at the onyx coloured stone while Nefertimon's Curse of Queen created cracks. Unfortunately, a few ice shots cancelled out the Red Sun attack which would have been the final blow.

Unexpectedly, rapid ice shots came in from all directions. The flying Armor Digimon had to swerved and dodge, trying to escape the crossfire. The camouflaged Yukidarumon moved into view, standing all around the area. Hikari estimated about fifteen of them.

"We're outnumbered! Our Digimon can't hit the tower like they're under fire like that," she said in despair. To make things worse, ice seemed to be building up around the tower, encasing it in a cocoon of frost which grew thicker by the second. The missed Absolute Zero Punches that were launched by the enslaved Yukidarumon was slowly forming a protective layer of ice around the base of Dark Tower. Any damage done was sealed completely.

"Darn it, what should we do now?" Takeru cried out.

Davis put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Leave that to me. Fladramon!" the Chosen of Courage called.

Fladramon sidestepped a punch from his opponent and crouched, slashing at the Evil Ring around the white leg before him. The Ring crumbled and the Kaiser lost another troop. "Yes, Daisuke?"

His partner pointed at the Dark Tower. "Destroy the Dark Tower before it's too late! You're the only one capable to doing this." Understanding immediately, Fladramon pounced onto a Yukidarumon that tried to hit him from behind and propelled himself into the air.

"Fire… Rocket!" Flames burning around Fladramon's entire body, their orange light reflected in the snow. Attacks from the Yukidarumon either missed him or vaporised from the shot like an arrow towards the tower, crashing headlong and melting the layer of ice, exposing the cracked black material inside. Pulling back, he raised his right hand.

"Knuckle Fire!" Instead of throwing the flames, he jabbed at the Tower with a burning fist. That left a sizzling crater in the Tower and Fladramon leapt back, yelling, "Everybody, fire at this spot now!" The flying Digimon swooped in and launched their attacks together.

The damage was immediate; the obelisk fell like timber, with the base was no longer strong enough to hold it erect.

The firing ceased, and the Yukidarumon looked around confusedly.

"Nice one, Fladramon. You did it!" Nefertimon congratulated her comrade, who grinned bashfully in response.

The Chosen Children cheered. All around them, the Yukidarumon halted their attacks as the Evil Rings lost their effects. The Chosen Children had done their job, now all they had to do was get Iori and Jyo.

* * *

The Shellmon collapsed limply on the ground, taken out by Digmon. The insect Armor Digimon snorted disdainfully at his fallen opponent. Just as he was about to stab down at the Evil Ring, an explosion was heard. The Dark Tower tilted to the side, crashing onto the ground and creating a cloud of snow around it.

"NO!" The Kaiser stomped his foot angrily. "It took me three hours to take over this place!"

"Humph, guess our job here is done. The tower is destroyed, you have no troops left to fight us. Surrender, Kaiser!" Iori yelled at the purple-robed teen.

To his surprise, a smirk crept up the Kaiser's face. "Do you really think so? Shellmon, get up!" The shellfish Digimon got up, eyes still shining crimson. It roared at Digmon furiously.

Jyo gasped. "But the Tower was destroyed! How come Shellmon is still being controlled?"

Ken snorted derisively. "Simple minded fools… I don't put all my eggs in one basket. I knew that I would lose my Yukidarumon if you somehow destroyed the Dark Tower, so I put extra soldiers under external control."

Iori seemed to catch something in the Kaiser's words. " _Soldiers_ in plural?"

A sadistic grin found its way onto Ken's face. He pressed a button on his left gauntlet, and the river exploded.

"Uh oh, I'm in trouble gyaa," Digmon said with wide eyes. In front of him was a fifteen foot tall giant lobster, clacking its pincers menacingly. A black ring was bound to the Digimon's thin right arm, making its eyes glow red like Shellmon.

"Meet my other sentry, Ebidramon!" Ken announced it flamboyantly, making a show of bowing.

Approached from two sides, Digmon began to retreat. He couldn't fight both at once, at least not alone. Gomamon leapt fowards, turning his head to look at Jyo. "I'm ready to fight, Jyo! Let me evolve!"

Jyo brought out his Digivice and nodded. "Let's do this!"

The bright light of evolution shot out from the Digivice towards Gomamon, changing him into the Adult Form of Ikkakumon. The horned walrus faced Edidramon, shouting to Digmon, "I'll handle this guy. You get rid of Shellmon!" With that, he charged and rammed the lobster Digimon, taking them both into the river.

At the same moment, Digmon hopped in different directions to avoid being swatted Shellmon's huge paws. Tired of playing 'Try to Hit Digmon', Shellmon lowered its head and shot gallons of water at its insect adversary. Digmon got blasted backwards and smashed into a slope.

Shellmon stopped hosing Digmon and crawled forward. "You will not hurt Digmon anymore!" Iori ran into its path and threw snow at the brainwashed Digimon's face, which only irritated it. The mollusc growled and raised its arm to smash the boy into a pulp. Iori's eyes filled with fear and flinched from the inevitable crushing blow.

"Iori!" Digmon somehow found the strength to get up and throw himself over his partner. The paw slammed onto his back, making him grunt in pain. Thankfully, his insectoid armour absorbed most of the damage, but it still didn't prevent him from getting hurt. Shellmon began to hit downwards continuously. Digmon remained in his position, shielding Iori from the attacks.

"Iori, I'm going to give you a chance to escape. Get ready to run!" Digmon ordered.

"But Digmon—"

"NOW, DAGYAA!" Digmon strained against the final blow and came up in a 'X' position, throwing Shellmon off balance. Iori took the cue and scrambled off to safety. After stabilising itself, the Shellmon lashed out at Digmon again, who was ready this time and dodged it.

"Honestly, you're one of the lousiest opponents I have ever faced. I can't believe I lost so badly," Digmon taunted the humongous hermit crab-like Digimon. "This ends now! Gold Rush!" The golden insect launched his drills at the Evil Ring, all five of them boring into the black material and disintegrating it. Completely exhausted, Digmon reverted back to Armadimon, breathing a sigh of relief.

Jyo ran up to Iori. "Iori-kun, you're okay! I was worried just now."

Iori brushed the snow off his clothes and smiled at the older Chosen. "I'm fine, thanks to Digmon. How about Ikkakumon and Ebidramon?"

Right on cue, the white walrus and the brown lobster appeared at the surface of the river. The Ebidramon was busy thanking Ikkakumon for freeing him.

"Really, thank you very much. I owe you a year's supply of fish now. If you have any favours to ask, just tell me. I'll gladly—"

"I will, don't worry," Ikkakumon interrupted him, sounding slightly exasperated. "Now please excuse me for a while." He devolved into Gomamon and skipped back to Jyo who met him with open arms.

"You did great, Gomamon. Did you know that Ebidramon well?"

Gomamon shrugged. "We occasionally go fishing, and he catches some good ones for me. He's really a nice guy. I'm glad he's free from the Kaiser's control."

The blue haired teen's face darkened. "Speaking of which, where is he?" Among the chaos, the Kaiser had slipped off when it was clear he had lost. "The coward he is…" Jyo muttered.

"Right, Jyo-san. I have something I need to complete. I already abandoned my Kendo class so I have to do this. I'm Hida Iori, pleased to meet you." He ended with a bow.

"Gee, he's really like you, Jyo. All polite and nice," Gomamon commented.

Jyo smiled warmly. "It's good to be courteous. I can see him becoming a really reliable team member for the new Chosen. One day, he might even save their lives." He patted Iori's head, who blushed at the compliment.

Shouts came from the distance, catching their attention. The two of them spotted a sleigh coming towards them, Hikari and Takeru waving their arms at them.

Sighing contentedly, Jyo said, "Let's go back now. I still have to revise for a fourth time for my practice test…"

Gomamon nudged his human friend's leg. "I'll be in charge of this place again, with Ebidramon helping me this time. Come back to visit soon, Jyo. I'll miss you."

Jyo bent down and hugged the seal. "Yeah, I'll miss you too."

* * *

Not long later, the Chosen found themselves standing in the empty computer room again. It was great to get away from the cold and back to the warmer human world. As soon as Davis reached, he sneezed. Wiping the thread of watery snot from his nose, he said stuffily. "Great, now I have a cold. Jyo-san, the medicine if you please?" Hikari touched his shoulder sympathetically.

Miyako rubbed her own slightly itching nose. "You had better not pass the cold to me. I just recovered from a flu not long ago." Davis responded to that by sneezing violently, making the tall girl shriek and wave her hand while screaming 'Germs! Get away from me!'

Davis drew a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose, glaring at the girl. "Miyako, you're not helping…

Iori suddenly remembered something his grandfather told him. "Everybody, would you like to drop by my house for Ohagi (some sort of Japanese rice ball)? My mom's going to make plenty of it. Besides, there'll be hot green tea. It'll help with your cold, Daisuke-san." The goggle boy nodded his head appreciatively.

Jyo glanced at his watch and cursed lightly. "Darn, I'm going to be late for my study session. You guys have fun, I'll see you some other time!" He rushed out of the computer room at back towards his school.

Takeru grinned. "As I said, Jyo hasn't changed much. Always so reliable and responsible."

Hikari smiled at Iori. "Well, Iori-kun is filling in Jyo's shoes. He is a responsible boy, huh?"

The younger boy blushed, thinking of how similar Hikari's compliment was to Jyo's. He cheerfully said, "Let's go to my house now. We don't want to keep my mom waiting with the Ohagi."

Chibimon asked Davis, "Daisuke, what is Ohagi? Can it be eaten?"

The maroon haired leader sucked hard with his nose and cleared his throat. "Yeah, you'll love it."

The other Digimon heard that and cheered. "Ohagi! Ohagi! We want Ohagi!"

Laughing at their partners' antics, the Chosen (even Davis) left the computer room in high spirits.

* * *

Ken sat in his 'throne' back at his base. He had just chalked up another victory for the Chosen Children, his opponents. It seemed that before they had arrived, everything was going smoothly. They were becoming a really huge stumbling stone, one that he couldn't seem to get past.

"Perhaps this is part of the game? Maybe I'm supposed to defeat them to achieve another level?" he mused to himself. Wormmon said nothing from the side. He didn't know how to explain to Ken that this whole situation wasn't just a game. No matter what he said, Ken would just dismiss it. He tried once, but his plea got ignored. When he tried again, he received a lashing in return for 'being a persistent disturbance'. Ken may be acting more even tempered than he had for the past few weeks, he even tolerated Wormmon's affectionate 'Ken-chan', but the green bug didn't dare to take his chances in fear of making Ken turn back into the monster he was.

"If that's the case, then it's time for a change of plans. It's time to execute Project Dark Evolution." Ken continued to think out loud. "I'm going home now Wormmon. I have much to think about. The game is going to be so much more fun." He prepared to be transported back into the human world.

Finally working up his courage to speak, Wormmon called, "Ken-chan!" However, he was a second too late for the purple haired boy had gone through the portal, leaving Wormmon in an empty control room.

Without anyone to see him, the caterpillar broke down into tears. "Ken-chan, why?" In the darkness illuminated by monitor screens, Wormmon cried as he silently berated himself for not having the guts to talk to Ken.

* * *

 _A/N: And there we go, the sixth chapter of Davis: LFAW. The ending was a bit depressing, because was really a sudden eureka moment and I felt I had to include that. It showed just how scared and heartbroken Wormmon is at Ken's actions._

 _I find it funny how readers seem to enjoy this story more than Daisuke: Meanwhile on the Other Side. I didn't expect a rewrite to be more popular than an AU, given how many rewrites there are out there… So please, go have a look at my parallel story Daisuke: MotOS if you haven't already. If you enjoyed this one then I'm sure MotOS will please you as well :D_

 _As always, review please! It's pleasing to know that people enjoy my work and are willing to give criticism wherever necessary. See you all in the next update!_


	7. Chapter 7

_AA/N: I'm back! In celebration of Digimon Adventure Tri that was just released the week before or so, I got out this chapter faster than I intended. I don't think I'll be updating anytime soon though. Just keep an eye out ;)_

 _Anyway, Tri was a really fun and nostalgic movie. I hope the next chapters do as well. I have high hopes for it, seeing that Daisuke and Ken might return next movie._

 _Shout outs to BreakingWays, BEST OC Maker, TheKittenKait, The Piccolas, Mists, The Food Dude, NinjaFang1331 and Twin Tails Speed for reviewing. You guys give me encouragement to go on. To the others who read silently, I hope you don't mind taking a bit of a hassle to give some comments._

 _DISCLAIMER: I don't own Digimon, but I own the changes, plot twists and characters that I made up. Oraclemon is not something I invented. I just came up with the name, searched online and found that there was somebody else that thought of the name, although I had not read the story yet._

* * *

CHAPTER 7

Davis placed his belongings neatly in his locker. Currently there wasn't anyone in the changing room, as it was still early. Taichi had reminded him that soccer practice was at 4.30pm, so there he was, getting ready to kick off on the field. Truthfully, he enjoyed playing soccer. If he remembered correctly, he used to play with… some guy. The facial features and name kept slipping his mind. He put the thought out of his head. He would find out when his memories returned.

Chibimon was at home while he was out. He went back to drop the little guy in his room before hurrying to school again. The next day was a Saturday so he couldn't leave Chibimon in school. He couldn't bring him to soccer practice either, although Chibimon had begged. Davis hated to let him down but it was for the best. He promised the Digimon some snacks when he got back to make up for it.

On the other hand, Davis had also found out that Motomiya Daisuke was really popular among the football kids. Everywhere he turned he met some boys asking him whether he'd like to join them for a game. He turned them down and saw the disappointed (and in some cases, confused) looks on their faces.

One of them even said to him, "What's up with you? You _never_ turn down a game of soccer."

 _No wonder this Daisuke has mediocre results._ Never _turned down a game before? How does he even manage that?_ Davis had thought.

Daisuke hadn't really thought Daisuke's studying capabilities until the class teacher had proudly announced that he wasthe top of the class. The pin-drop silence that ensued was deafening and his classmates had given him looks of shock and disbelief. Davis felt confused by the reactions he was getting. Wasn't he a class 5-A student after all? Then after school he was swarmed by his classmates, asking him how he managed to achieve high grades in a short time. Even Hikari had congratulated him. Davis still didn't get why he was getting so much attention.

It wasn't until he checked Daisuke's old report cards and cringed at the alphabets that filled the Grade column that he understood. Daisuke was an average B student with a C's in maths and history. The only thing he exceled at was physical education, which he scored an A on.

When he showed his results to his 'parents', the Motomiyas were floored but that rapidly turned into happiness and pride. Jun gave him a suspicious look, knowing her brother couldn't have suddenly excelled in his studies for no reason. However, she kept quiet and didn't question him. He could see that she was still miffed about not being able to go on a date with Yamato. She joined her parents in their festive mood when they declared they were eating at their favourite barbeque restaurant in celebration of "Daisuke suddenly becoming a genius". As for Davis, he didn't know what to think of his 'family'. He didn't even memories of his real family at all.

Davis briefly considered slacking off to keep up appearances but quickly decided that he didn't need to. If he were to be spending time as a Motomiya, he might as well bring the family honour. He hoped that wherever Daisuke was, he'd be doing the same as well.

On second thoughts he might be totally wrecking his name with his less-than-satisfactory performance in everything except soccer. Davis regretted thinking of that possibility immediately.

Anyway, he had decided to be more active in soccer again. Homework and frequent trips to the Digital World after school took up most of his time, so he really needed to organize his timetable to fit in the sport.

Daisuke placed his goggles carefully on top of his folded shirt. His eyes fell on the blue D-3 that rested next to his wallet, then he shook his head and closed the locker. The boy slung his towel over his shoulder, grabbed his water bottle and headed off to the field. He saw the coach with a basket of balls.

The coach of Odaiba Elementary School's football team was a man in his late twenties named Sakai Tagado. He wore a navy blue tracksuit and a grey cap over his short brown hair. When Davis had just arrived, he was busy scribbling something on his clipboard. As the boy approached, he looked up and grinned.

"Look who we have here. Motomiya Daisuke, finally decided that you had had enough rest and continue practising, huh?" Coach Tagado said, baring his gleaming white teeth.

Davis rubbed the back of his head, not sure how to respond. "Err, yeah. I guess."

Tagado, with his hands on his hips, bent forward and looked Davis right in the eyes. "I heard that you did well in the school test. Did you cheat?"

"What? Of course not!"

The soccer coach threw back his head and released a short bark of laughter. He handed Davis a ball before pointing to the skittles set on the field. "Good, that means you've started to care for your studies as much as you do for soccer. Now go do some stretching exercises and start practising. We can't have our ace player getting rusty."

He returned his attention to his clipboard. Davis heard him mumbling, "Motomiya, a high scorer? Who would have thought that…"

Deciding to ignore the comment, Davis warmed up and got to work. He tried a few moves and found that he hadn't lost his touch. Not long later, his teammates joined him. He didn't really know who they were but he picked up their names from their dialogue.

Two hours later, the Odaiba Elementary team collapsed on the grass, panting for breath. Davis lay on the ground and took deep breaths. It felt really good to sweat it out. His trips to the Digital World were tiring, but they were different from playing a sport. He gazed up at the late afternoon sky and relaxed.

His moment of peace was interrupted by shouts of 'Taichi-senpai! Hikari-chan!' from his teammates. He sat up and saw his friend and her brother walking towards them. Taichi wore his Odaiba Middle School sports attire and looked as sweaty as Davis was. Hikari waved hello and took a picture of Davis. His teammates gave chilling glares at Davis, making him feel uncomfortable.

Coach Tagado went and put a hand on Taichi's shoulder. "Long time no see, Yagami. Come to check out your juniors?"

"Sort of. How are they, Coach?"

"Well, they're as good as your old team was, that's for sure."

"That's good to hear," Taichi said. He turned to Davis and smiled, "How about a quick game between you and me? One on one, first to score five wins." Davis blinked and accepted the challenge. They borrowed a ball and walked onto the field. Their goal posts consisted of skittles positioned at half field.

There were shouts of protests from Davis' teammates. "No fair, why does he get to play against Taichi-senpai?"

"I want to have a match with Taichi-senpai as well!"

"I'm next, Taichi-senpai!"

Coach Tagado calmed his boys down and said, "Now, now, you'll get your chance later. Just observe and see what Yagami can do." He hollered at Taichi, "Hey, Yagami! Don't you go bullying Motomiya okay?"

Taichi gave Coach Tagado a thumbs up and readied himself. Davis took a deep breath and entered a stance. Neither of them moved, eyes locked and muscles tensed. Davis' team was silent as well, observing the two players intently.

The coach blew the whistle and both of them lunged for the ball in between. Davis managed to take first control of it and dribbled his way towards his goal posts. He kicked and scored the first point of the game.

 _Daisuke 1: Taichi 0._

"Nice one, Daisuke!" Taichi said. He had a twinkle in his eyes.

The match started again. Taichi took the ball this time and headed towards his goal target. Davis sprinted after him and managed to steal the ball. He turned tail and ran to score a second goal.

The Odaiba Elementary players cheered. "Go Daisuke! Go Taichi-senpai!"

Hikari heard Coach Tagado muse beside her, "Yagami is sloppy today. What is he doing?"

The third round began. The score was currently two-nil in favour of Davis. He asked, "Are you holding back, Taichi-senpai?"

The Yagami teen had a new fire in his eyes. "I was. It's time to get serious."

The whistle was blown again and Davis tried to get the ball but he came up empty. Taichi had taken possession of the ball and was already way ahead of him.

 _Wow, Taichi-senpai is fast!_

With a powerful kick, Taichi scored his first goal. He looked back at Davis and grinned.

 _Two-one, but I'm still in the lead._

The match started again and Davis took the ball. He tried to get past Taichi but failed. Every move he made was blocked by the older boy.

In one last dash, he made it through Taichi's defence. Then he realised that he had lost the ball. Somehow, Taichi had stolen it. He watched helplessly as the Yagami evened the scores.

One of Davis' team members let his jaw drop. "My God, that was an awesome steal! Did you see that?"

"Yeah, it was so cool!"

Coach Tagado grunted, satisfied. "No wonder Odaiba Middle School has been in the top 4 for the past few tournaments. Yagami has improved."

Davis went back to the starting position and looked at Taichi warily. Defeating bushy haired middle-schooler was not going to be a walk in the park. However, he would try his best to win.

To Davis' chagrin, he lost the next two points to Taichi as well. His steals failed, his sliding tackle was easily avoided and it was as if Taichi could tell his next move before he even made it. Then Davis realised that Tai had purposely lost the first two rounds to analyse Davis' skills and strategies. _There had been no chance for me to win at all, to start with_ , Davis thought in despair.

"Yagami 4, Motomiya 2! Game point!" Tagado announced before blowing the final whistle.

Davis tore past Taichi and towards the goal posts. Before he could score, possession of the ball was turned again. Davis snarled like an animal and rushed to regain control of the soccer ball. Taichi was startled by the ferocity of the younger boy's approach but managed to stay in possession of the ball. Finally, he bounced the ball into the air and head-butted it into the goal, scoring the winning point.

Again, a whistle was blown to signify the end of the game. Davis crumpled onto the ground and panted heavily. He had suffered utter defeat at the hands of his senior. Taichi walked up to him and extended a hand to pull Davis up.

"Nicely played, Daisuke, but you were too predictable. You use the same moves over and over again, making it easy to see what's coming next. You'll never be able to defeat Tamachi Elementary in this state. You won't beat the Kaiser as well if you don't improve."

Davis felt humiliated deeply. "I'm sorry for letting you down, Taichi-senpai. I will try to get better."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Taichi said with a smile and patted Davis' head. All of a sudden, Davis clutched his head in pain and stumbled back.

"Daisuke! Are you alright?"

Coach Tagado hurried forward to check out the Motomiya boy. Hikari watched concernedly from the stands as Taichi grabbed Davis' arm to help him regain balance. The older boy led Davis to sit down as Coach Tagado handed him his water bottle. The pain subsided and Davis' vision cleared.

"Sorry, had a headache just now," Davis murmured.

Coach Tagado wiped the boy's sweat with the towel. "Must be the heat. You shouldn't overexert yourself, Motomiya. Rest for a while and you can leave when you're feeling better."

The man turned to the other curious boys and shouted, "Alright, who wants to play against Yagami next?" The young boys all went quiet, not looking as enthusiastic as before after seeing one of their better players lose to Taichi.

Tagado nodded. "That's what I thought. You're dismissed! See you next practice session." Shouts of "Yes sir!" were heard as the players dispersed.

Hikari sat down next to her friend worriedly. She touched Davis' arm and asked, "Are you okay?"

Davis nodded. His head no longer throbbed, but he was disturbed by the image that had entered his head when Taichi gave him that pat. "I'll be fine. It was just a sudden headache. All I need is rest and I'm good," he lied. He hurriedly stood up and ran back to the locker room.

From outside the door, he heard chatting and laughing. When he stepped in, the lively atmosphere died down and he saw his fellow players giving him concerned looks. The goalkeeper, Raito stepped forward and asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, thanks for asking. Now if you excuse me…" Davis went and collected his belongings.

As he packed, he mulled over the image he had seen. When Taichi patted his head, he had gotten a sense of Déjà vu. The Taichi he saw in his mind's eye however, was years younger. The more he thought of it, the more he was sure that it was a _memory._ Did that mean that… he was beginning to remember?

Davis felt his chest tighten. His memories would return after all and he anticipated that. Maybe he would find out who his real parents are. He would understand what he'd done to get him into this position. However, he was concerned about the person he was back before. Would he have to give up everything he had now to go back and live as his old self?

The dampened atmosphere slowly disappeared and conversation began to return. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted two guys getting into a towel fight. They stood half-naked in the room and lashed out with their towels, while the people around egged them on.

Davis slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out without a word. As he reached the school gate, he heard a beep from his D-terminal. He checked it and found a new message from Hikari. It read, "Daisuke-kun, I hope you're fine. Miyako-san planned a picnic to the Digital World tomorrow. Will you be joining us? It's okay if you want to rest. I'm sure Miyako-san will understand."

Not feeling up to it, he replied, "I'm fine, thanks for asking. I think I'll pass on the picnic this time. You guys have fun."

He kept the D-Terminal away and headed towards the convenience store owned by the Inoues to buy the chocolate bar he promised Chibimon.

* * *

Ken studied the computer screen intently. Before him was a rotating three-dimensional model of an Evil Ring. He ran the function and mechanism of the ring through his mind, trying to come up with new ideas.

The rings transmitted a wave that affected the brainwaves of the Digimon. Ken wasn't sure if the Digimon had brains at all, since he had never dissected a Digimon. On top of that, the creatures dissolved into data bits when they died, giving him no chance to study the anatomy. He guessed that the Rings triggered absolute obedience by altering the data of the Digital Monsters.

The Dark Towers and Evil Rings were made from a unique element not known to humans, but it was not commonly found in the Digital World either. He wondered where his factory got the material from. There wasn't exactly a mine anywhere nearby that provided sustainable amounts of the material to mass-produce Dark Towers for him to erect, but the supply was seemingly endless. Well, who was he to question the game system? How the Dark Towers were produced mattered less than how effectively he could utilise them.

So far the 'Chosen Children', as his foes named themselves, had been winning against him non-stop. By destroying his Towers and breaking his Rings, they didn't have much difficulty retaking his captured regions. While his losses had cost him nothing more than a few areas and some minions, it was infuriating to lose, even if it was just a game. After all, what game wasn't played to win?

He turned his attention towards another screen which displayed the data of his foes' Digimon. Pictures of Agumon and the original Chosen Digimon popped up. Ken cracked his knuckles and got to work.

Sometime later, Wormmon scuttled up to the base of his seat and said, "Ken-chan, it's those people again."

Ken looked away from his work and sat back in his chair. "Good, now I have entertainment for my rest. Send them in, Wormmon, then grab me some popcorn and soda," the Kaiser said with a smirk. Wormmon nodded wordlessly and went to do his master's bidding.

Pushing his purple tinted glasses up his nose, Ken grinned.

 _This will be hilarious to watch._

* * *

The day had started out perfect for Miyako. The kids had snuck into the school grounds of Odaiba Elementary through the back gate and had successfully made their way to the computer room without getting caught. Then she had met this gorgeous senior with glitter in her hair. Takeru and Hikari had introduced her as Tachikawa Mimi, a member of the earlier Chosen who had come all the way from America to attend her cousin's wedding. The gang invited her along for the picnic and finally found a spot on top of a hill to sit down and eat.

Then it all went downhill, literally. Armadimon threw Hawkmon a sushi roll that the bird Digimon failed to catch. It rolled down the slope and Hawkmon went chasing after it. Miyako got up and followed her partner. The two of them came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. The sushi roll rolled right into stream and was lost forever.

"No, my Kanpyomaki!" Hawkmon cried out, despaired that the dried gourd sushi roll he had been after was gone.

Miyako consoled him. "Aww, that's too bad. It's okay, Hawkmon, I'm sure there are extras back there. Speaking of which, where are we?"

When they checked their surroundings, they realised that they were in a darker part of the forest. Hawkmon's keen eyes locked onto a Dark Tower standing among the trees.

"This is bad, we're in the Kaiser's area of control. We have to get back soon," Miyako said worriedly.

Suddenly, a shrill cry was heard. They saw a figure running towards them. It was Mimi, and she was being chased by a hoard of creatures that looked like frogs with tubas and tadpoles with limbs.

"Run!" Miyako joined Mimi as she ran past and the two girls tore through the woods, trying to get away from the rampaging Digimon. Hawkmon flew after his partner, helpless to stop their chasers.

The path they were running seemed endless. Mimi's foot caught a stone and she tripped. Miyako stopped to help her get up, but the stampede of Otamamon and Gekomon caught up. The girls closed their eyes and huddled together, bracing for the onslaught of Digimon. At the last moment, vines appeared and dragged them out of the way. Palmon had come to their rescue!

The reunion of girl and Digimon was heartfelt. Both Palmon and Mimi hugged each other tearfully, saying how much they missed each other.

The tender moment was broken when Palmon asked if Mimi was here to help.

"Actually, I came here for a picnic."

Palmon stared at her partner in disbelief. "This area is under the Kaiser's control, the Oamamon and Gekomon are slaves with Evil Rings, and you're telling me you came here for a _picnic_?"

Mimi defended herself. "I didn't know that things were that bad. Takeru told me that the Kaiser was running around destroying the peace of the Digital World, and I was worried for you!"

Palmon lowered her head. "I know you care, Mimi. But I feel bad for not being able to stop the Kaiser from taking over this place. I feel I have failed…"

Hawkmon landed and raised a wing. "Don't worry, we can still reclaim this area. All we have to do is destroy that Dark Tower and the Digimon will be free."

Mimi turned towards the black obelisk and said determinedly, "Then I, Mimi-sama will personally demolish it. You're going down, Dark Tower!" She pointed at the Tower and harrumphed.

Miyako gave a nervous chuckle. "Right, but we can't do it on our own. Let me contact Takeru and the others."

* * *

"Where is Miyako-san and Mimi-san?" Takeru wondered as he helped Iori and Hikari put the containers and wrappers away.

"Well if it wasn't for Armadimon, they wouldn't be gone." Iori gave his partner a disappointed look.

The armadillo hung his head in shame. "I'm really sorry, Iori. I didn't mean to cause trouble."

The Hida boy patted his partner on the head. "I know. Just don't do that again next time."

Patamon hovered above their heads. "I sure hope the Kaiser hasn't gotten to them. We'd be in big trouble if we need to go save them with just the three of us."

"I just got a message from Miyako-san. She says that they're lost in the dark part of the forest," Takeru said after reading the screen of his D-Terminal.

Hikari fished out her D-3 and pressed a few buttons. "There should be a detector function in here somewhere… Koushiro-senpai said that the D-3s had the same functions as our old Digivices, along with some extras." She fiddled with the electronic device for a while more before saying, "Hey, I think I'm getting something. It's a weak signal from over there." She pointed towards the thick forest.

"Maybe it's them. Let's go check it out," Tailmon said.

The others nodded and helped pack up. Then they set off to find their missing friends, hoping that they could get to them before something bad happened.

* * *

Ken popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth, savouring the taste.

 _Caramel, nice._

Maybe he should ask Wormmon to take him to the kitchen sometime. The base seemed to cater to all his needs and interests. Wormmon always brought back what he ordered. He wondered if ordering a medium rare steak pushed the limit. He should try it next time.

He noticed Wormmon watching him from beside and realised that he hadn't offered the Digimon anything. He set the tub down on the floor and gestured. "Help yourself. I don't think I can finish it anyway." Wormmon nodded hesitantly before accepting his partner's generosity.

Ken sipped his soda and asked, "Who should I send out to play with them?" He pointed to the screen that displayed Miyako and Mimi.

Wormmon thought for a while. He didn't want to send out the Kaiser's worse slaves to deal with two girls, so he answered, "The Gokimon brothers."

Ken recalled what they were. "Ah, the insane cockroach siblings. Excellent choice, Wormmon. Now sit back and watch the movie." The Kaiser pressed a button to send out his minions and grabbed some more popcorn.

* * *

"Takeru said that they're coming to get us. We should stay put so that they can find us," Miyako said out loud, relieved that help was on the way.

"But what should we do now? This place is really creepy. Who knows what may be hiding in the bushes?" Mimi said, wrapping her arms around herself.

Immediately after she said that, the shrubs rustled and out crawled a pair of identical Labrador-sized cockroaches. "What's up ladies? More like what's down, ladies?" The first one sneered.

The second one piped up, "We'll cheer you up! We Gokimon make _really good_ dating partners."

Mimi and Miyako huddled together. "Eww, cockroaches! I hate cockroaches! They're dirty and disgusting!" Their partners got in front of them protectively.

Gokimon #2's face dropped. "That hurt, man. Big Brother, what should we do?"

Gokimon #1 scowled at the two girls. "Nobody insults us and gets away with it."

Miyako blinked and asked, "You two are brothers?"

The roaches replied in unison, "Yes we are, got a problem?" The lavender haired girl shut up and shook her head vigorously.

"Let's attack now, little brother. Dream Dust!" The two of them pointed their rears at the Chosen Children. They shot loads of garbage at the girls, burying them in a pile of foul-smelling waste.

Mimi's head appeared. She had noodles in her hair and chewing gum wrappers on her face. She shouted, "Hey, it's just garbage! What're you trying to do, stink us to death?" Miyako and their Digimon partners emerged next to her, wondering what just happened.

The Gokimon laughed and gave them a sly look. Soon enough, a piano came crashing down from the sky. It landed in front of the girls with a loud crash, accompanied by the sound of piano notes.

"I don't think it's just garbage, Mimi-san." Miyako looked up and saw a refrigerator falling above them. They screamed and grabbed their partners, running for their lives as heavy household items began dropping from the heavens.

* * *

Ken chortled, almost choking on his soda. He coughed and Wormmon asked whether he was okay.

"I'm fine, but they're not," he said gleefully as he watched the screen showing the Chosen Girls running away from the falling objects. "It was a right choice sending those two roaches. This is hilarious! Where do those things come from?"

"I don't know. It has always been a mystery," Wormmon answered.

Ken scrutinised the screen and spotted a familiar-looking sofa. He thought it was his imagination because the screen changed scenes and showed the girls coming up on the Dark Tower.

He glanced down at the half-empty tub of popcorn. He shrugged, thinking that it would be enough for now.

* * *

Miyako was having one of her weird fantasies again. After seeing the strong brotherhood the annoying insects had, she begun to wonder how it would be to be sisters with Mimi. While she loved her siblings, they constantly got on her nerves. Mimi would make a better sister, at any rate. She was strong, cheerful and pretty.

Hawkmon noticed the happy grin on her face and shrieked, "Miyako-san, do you realise that we're in a pinch right now?"

That snapped her out of her daydream. She cursed herself for being an idiot. Behind her, Mimi asked Palmon, "Palmon, can't you Evolve and do something?"

"Sorry, Mimi. I can't, not when that Dark Tower is there."

It hit Miyako that she was the only one who could get the out of this mess. She Armor Evolved Hawkmon into Holsmon. She got onto the Griffin's back and they soared into the air to face their attackers.

Mimi stared in amazement. It was the first time she had seen Armor Evolution. Koushiro had mentioned in his emails that it was a new method of Evolving, exclusive to the new Chosen but that was all she knew about it.

Up above, the Gokimon attacked as one. They shot towards Holsmon like cannonballs, but the Armor Digimon avoided it. Miyako analysed their assault patterns and found that they only had the Dream Dust of dropping trash on them, which was useless in this situation. So they resorted to physical attacks, which was no easier for Holsmon to counter because of the high speeds the roaches had.

"Gokimon Brothers Chop!" Holsmon evaded the attack and the roaches crashed into the ground hard. The force of the collision sent soil and dust flying into the air.

Mimi got an idea. She could use the Gokimon brothers' strength against themselves. "Miyako-san, lead them towards the Dark Tower! I have a plan!" Then she ran towards the Dark Tower, noticing the searchlights that beam across the sky.

 _Perfect, just what I need._

Miyako headed Holsmons and stopped in front of the Dark Tower. So when the Gokimon shot like bullets towards them, Palmon helped Mimi to shine a searchlight into their faces. Momentarily blinded, the Gokimon lost their direction and let their momentum carry them forward. Holsmon lifted and got out of the way, letting the Gokimon hurtle into the Dark Tower. The roaches dropped like stones into the ground and cracks formed around the crater that they had created, spreading across the obelisk.

Seeing his chance, Holsmon fired a point blank range Red Sun attack from his eyes which broke the Dark Tower in half. With that, area and controlled Digimon were freed. Holsmon landed and Mimi jogged towards Miyako. The senior Chosen gave Miyako a smile and they both laughed at their success.

Close by, the Gokimon stirred. To the girls' surprise, they had lost their close relationship and started brawling on the ground.

"I thought they got a long so well just now…" Miyako said, her glasses sliding down her nose.

Mimi nodded in agreement. "I hate to say this, but maybe they were better off being controlled by the Kaiser…" The girls watched their released enemies squabbled and fought over trivial stuff. Now that they weren't under the pressure of being under constant attack, the smell that covered them wafted up to their noses.

"Yuck, I smell like rotten leftovers," Miyako complained.

"I smell like something that has been rolled in the muck and left out in the sun to dry." Mimi wriggled her nose and fanned her face.

"We need a shower," both of them said in unison. Then they laughed out loud, relieved that it was over.

Hawkmon looked at Palmon who clasped her hands together. "Well, as long as Mimi is happy, I'm happy too," she said.

They heard their names being called from the distance and saw Takeru and company running towards them, backed by the whole colony of Gekomon and Otamamon. Freed from the Kaiser, they were back to their kind selves, excited to meet their 'Princess Mimi' again. They pounced on Mimi, thanking her for saving them.

"Some picnic this was," Miyako said with a small smile as she watched from the side, more to herself than to Hawkmon. The bird Digimon nodded anyway.

Hikari walked towards Miyako while keeping her eyes on the fighting Gokimon. "Who are they?" she questioned.

"Nah, they're nobodies who gave us some trouble. Just ignore them."

Iori came up to Miyako. He sniffed and regarded her with a curious expression but didn't comment on the stench. "There you are, Miyako-san. We were worried for you. I apologize for Armadimon's actions, and we saved some food for you."

Miyako gratefully hugged the Hida boy, thanking him. Iori's face turned blue as he struggled not to breathe in the obnoxious scent as the girl crushed his lungs. "Miyako-san… Can't… Breathe…"

"Oops, sorry." Miyako let go and gave him a sheepish look. "Let's go home now. I can't wait to shower."

And so the day ended for the Chosen Children as they elatedly returned to the real world.

* * *

Finishing the last bit of soda, Ken sighed. The action was fun while it lasted. Still it had ended in another loss, which irked the boy. It was expected though, given how useless the Gokimon brothers were.

"Clean up, Wormmon. I'm going home. I have a Golden Week to enjoy." He left without another word.

When he returned to his room, he stretched and yawned. It had been a tiring day. He stepped out of his door and walked past the dining room. His mother asked, "Ken-chan, do you know what happened to the sofa? It's gone."

Ken froze.

 _Oh crap._

* * *

In his residence, Gennai set the scroll he was reading on a table stacked with books. He sighed and rubbed his wrinkly forehead. He found it depressing that he had just come up at a dead end with his research. To make things worse, the other Sovereigns were pressuring him to free Azulongmon, but he had no idea how.

The digital being suspected that the Dark Towers were sealing away the Dragon Sovereign of the East, but he had no proof that his theory was correct. Koushiro had informed him that the black obelisks prevent normal evolution, with the aid of the Kaiser's D-3, but was their strength enough to overpower a _sovereign_ of all creatures?

 _It could be due to the numbers,_ Gennai mused. _The Dark Towers gain strength in numbers. I'll have to look further into this…_

The old man sat down and faced his desktop computer. He opened a list of Chosen Children. Under the Japan list, the names of the Odaiba Chosen appeared.

The Chosen Children, as they were called, were _chosen_ by him and the other Digital World Guardians with the counsel of the Sovereigns. They had done meticulous planning and researching into the background of the children, making sure that the young humans had the qualities to be a saviour of the Digital World when the time called for it. The Chosen were given crests to be used as channelling media for their powers to manifest.

The newer Chosen were not given crests, but they had received partners capable of Armor Evolving, an old technique using the Digimentals that were created by the Sovereigns using the Crests of the original eight as templates. Gennai had disagreed with the Digimentals because he felt that the new Chosen deserved their own Crests. Taichi's batch had received Crests, as had the Chosen Children before them, so why shouldn't the new Chosen get theirs? Still, the Sovereigns had been insistent at creating the Digimentals.

" _In the situation that the first Chosen fail to use their crests, the new chosen shall have another power that they can use,"_ Baihumon had said.

It turned out that the Tiger Sovereign was right. The Kaiser had found a way to prevent normal Evolution, rendering the Crests useless. But it didn't really matter for the Taichi's generation because they had given up the power of their crests to restore balance anyway. The old guardian had learnt to trust his superiors' decisions after that.

Gennai scrolled down the list and stopped at 'Motomiya Daisuke'. The fact that the boy had become a chosen when he had not been listed as a candidate bothered Gennai. It was as if there was a higher power out there meddling with him. The same went for Ichijouji Ken as well. He was a Chosen of the older generation but yet he had somehow acquired a D-3. Azulongmon, the Sovereign Gennai was closest to seemed to know what was going on but he remained silent, and now he's sealed away by forces Gennai couldn't comprehend.

 _I wish my old team was around. They would be of much help,_ Gennai thought tiredly. His friends, the other Digital Beings had all been killed off by Piedmon in the assault of the secret base. Gennai was the sole survivor of the group and the clown Dark Master had inserted something into his body that caused physical deterioration. Azulongmon had promised to remove it and restore his body, but he wasn't here right now. In fact, nobody knew where he was.

Gennai brought out the information about Daisuke. There had to be some information about the boy. He thought about it for a while. Why did Daisuke not get chosen in the first place?

The old man checked his records. He had scavenged the ruins of his secret base and retrieved all that he could before retreating to his hideout. _Before this, our group planned ten steps ahead. It was like we could see into the future,_ Gennai thought.

Well, actually they _could_ see into the future. They once had an Oraclemon, the last of his kind, to glimpse into a child's future when they had to make a choice. Unfortunately, the foreseer did not foresee the fate that awaited him. He and Gennai's old friends had perished in the Dark Master assault on their base. The Oraclemon were now extinct, and all that is left of them are legends, memories and old records.

Something clicked in the old man's mind. He located a book in his study and dusted off the cover. He checked it and searched for another book in the stack by the door. He opened it and flipped through the pages. He found what he was looking for and bit his lip. Inside, he was brimming with excitement and trepidation. This information could change the world as they knew it.

 _The records are proof enough that I was mistaken. This was from so long ago that I forgot, it wasn't that Daisuke wasn't chosen, but he got scrapped off the list for a reason, and I have a good guess what that is. If I'm right, then this could be big news,_ Gennai surmised grimly.

He set his reading material on the desk and walked out of the study. It was time to consult the Sovereigns, and contact an old ally.

* * *

 _A/N: There you go, the latest chapter. I am satisfied with my work, though it's just my opinion. The source episode was just a third of this chapter, which surprised me. I originally intended to skip over that part. Thankfully, I didn't. That part is mostly like the episode I based it on, but I added and took out some details to fit it into my story. Also I learned that writing something you don't really know about is extremely hard. When i typed out the soccer part, I almost broke down in frustration as i realized that my knowledge of the sport is close to nothing. I'm not a soccer fan, not at all. Why do Davis, Tai and Takuya have to be such die-hard fans? =_='''_

 _For those who don't know, the Golden Week is at the end of May. It is a national celebration of the late Emperor Showa's birthday, though now it is also known as Greenery Day. Just look it up o Google. Kamnpyomaki is a sushi roll with dried gourd fillings. I haven't eaten it in a long time but I remember that it is sweet. Sushi is awesome, I love it XD._

 _I'm not sure how many readers know about Gennai's history and what he is. The fandom out there has eliminated a lot of information across time and most fanfiction nowadays don't go too deep into the Franchise, focusing only on the Chosen and their interactions. That's not to say that fanfiction nowadays is bad, many are awesome. I just hope that authors out there will explore each character and feature the franchise offers._

 _Tell me what you think. Did you like the chapter? Do you have any constructive criticism? I would like to hear it._

 _Thank you for reading, I'll see you in the next update. As always, read, review and enjoy!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I'm not dead! Well, not yet anyway. It has been a hectic period of time and I finally managed to churn out this chapter. Inspiration struck and I had to rewrite the second half of the chapter but it turned out that having ideas is much easier than writing it. It took me days to figure out the dialogue and how it would change the story pacing and this is the best I could come up with._

 _Anyway I recently got back into Transformers. The IDW comics for the Generation One continuity is superb. I watched the cartoon back when I was little and forgot about it but the comics got me back into the franchise. It's almost as complex as the Marvel and DC universe, only it has ROBOTS!_

 _Hope you enjoy the chapter. Here we go!_

 _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON, BUT I OWN THIS FANFICTION._

* * *

Chapter 8

After the picnic in the Digital World, the Chosen Children decided that it was time to resume the duties. Over the next few days they spread out, trying to demolish as many Dark Towers as possible. It was all they could do at the moment, but it lightened their hearts immensely that they were at least accomplishing _something_. The younger generation separated to help the older Chosen free the areas taken by the Digimon Kaiser.

Davis had finally come around and re-joined his team. He felt much better but the feeling of anxiousness never left him completely. However, being kept busy in the Digital World and the amount of homework the teachers gave left him no time to mull over it. Soon enough, he had completely forgotten about the whole incident.

The two teams of Chosen Children worked dynamically. Taichi's generation knew their way around the Digital Word pretty well while Davis and the others were the ones with the Digimon capable of fighting, at least more so than the first set of Chosen Children. Agumon and his fellow Digimon could only Evolve when the Dark Tower was removed from the field, so they had to rely on the Armor Digimon to level the playing ground. Area by area, they retook regions from the Kaiser's control and set about their own troops (consisting of a Chosen Digimon and a team of selected locals) to defend them.

The older kids took to their juniors pretty well, acting as mentors to them. They provided pointers and instructions, working together seamlessly as a team. On the downside, Taichi and the rest couldn't always be there to help them. The younger team had to develop their independence and deal with the Digital World without any guidance. Sooner or later they would have to ride without stabilisers. Apparently, it was sooner than later.

"Sorry, guys. I won't be able to come tomorrow," Koushirou apologized one day after a round of Tower Breaking in the Digital World. It didn't make too much of a difference whether he came or not, because he usually sat in the computer room and monitored their progress as the team strategist. Nevertheless, he felt it was more courteous to inform the rest of his absence.

"Me neither, I've got band practice." Yamato added. There was a performance coming up and he had to rehearse. "Let Daisuke and the rest deal with it."

"Wait, you're letting us go on our own?" Davis asked.

Taichi smiled at him. "It's nothing too much to worry about. All you are going to do is walk into that place, blow up the Dark Tower and get back."

Yamato snorted amusedly. "Precisely, you guys got it easy. It's not like you're stuck in the Digital World for months, fending off monsters without any idea to get home." Takeru cleared his throat and gave his brother a look, to which Yamato rolled his eyes at.

"It'll be easy," Koushiro assured them. "Treat it as a learning experience. You've been doing well so far."

Iori raised a hand and asked, "Isn't there anyone else that can come with us?"

Taichi answered as he counted off his fingers, "Hmm, let's see. Koushiro and Matt are out of the question, Sora has to help out at her mother's shop, Jyo is taking the test he skipped last time and Mimi is in America. So nope, you're on your own this time."

Miyako raised an eyebrow. "What about you, Taichi-san?" Davis gave him a questioning look as well, partially hopeful.

Taichi shook his head. "I can't, I have a science project that is way behind schedule. Just because somebody refused to help me with it, I have to stay back in school to complete it." He glared pointedly at Koushiro who was unfazed.

"I already told you, Taichi-san. I'm not helping you with anymore science projects, not ever since that fiasco last year. It took me hours getting that stuff out of my hard drive." He shuddered at the thought of Ketchup splattering everywhere, getting on his precious laptop and between the keys.

Hikari who had been there when it happened giggled at the thought. Even Yamato cracked a smile whereas Taichi harrumphed, crossed his arms and looked away. Chibimon hopped onto the table next to Koushiro and asked, "What is a science project?"

The red-headed boy sighed. "Let Daisuke-san tell you about it. Just don't ask what we did." Davis raised an eyebrow at the mention but didn't say anything.

Takeru stepped forward, "Where are we going tomorrow by the way?"

Koushiro pulled up a map of the Digital World. He displayed the data of the location and explained. "You will be going to Metal City tomorrow. The place is run by robot Digimon. I'd go with you if I had time, but unfortunately my schedule doesn't permit me to do so."

Davis peered at the screen. "Looks quite futuristic," he commented.

Koushiro nodded. "It is indeed. Gennai recently told me that the place has a secret database that can download all information around the Digital World. We need to free that area before the Kaiser discovers its usefulness."

Taichi put an arm around Davis' shoulder. "It'll be fine, you guys should be able to handle it."

* * *

As Davis found out the next day, Taichi was not quite right in that sense. The mission sounded simple: infiltrate the city, destroy the Dark Tower and return. It wasn't that easy. They had popped out of the television in the middle of Metal City and immediately got surrounded by hundreds of drones. The Guardromon had Evil Rings were placed on their chests, marching relentlessly and emotionlessly towards them in waves.

"There's too many of them!" Davis shouted. Fladramon launched Knuckle Fire after Knuckle Fire at the incoming Guardromon, destroying their Dark Rings. But instead of helping to fight their imprisoned brothers in arms, they just stood there like statues. The waves that came after pushed them aside and they toppled to the ground, temporarily slowing the army down.

We can't take them all without help!" Takeru exclaimed, holding Patamon in his arms. He had previously tried to fly across the city towards the Dark Tower but got shot down immediately after taking to the air.

"Gold Rush!" Digmon fired his drills and took out a few Guardromon. Nefertimon and Holsmon followed up with their respective attacks. It wasn't long before Digmon and Fladramon, who had been at the front line ran low on energy and devolved back into their rookie forms. V-Mon and Armadimon scampered back to safety quickly.

"Geez, why won't they ever stop coming?" Miyako complained from atop her partner. The sight of Guardromons marching towards them was sickening. They had not made any progress at all.

"Daisuke-kun, let's go back and form a plan. We can't do anything like this. Maybe we can ask Koushiro and my brother for help," Hikari suggested.

Davis made a 'Tsk' sound and said, "Alright, we shall retreat for now." He grabbed V-mon and ran.

The children hurried back to the TV portal. Miyako and Iori held out their D3s and got warped out immediately. Takeru and Hikari followed close behind, but Davis was one step slower. A Guardromon dropped from above and smashed the TV set as soon as Hikari got sucked through. The Digimon pointed his arms at Davis and fired two missiles. Davis and V-mon ducked and the missiles soared past them, exploding and blowing up a wall upon impact. Bits of rubble and dust rained on them, covering them like snow powder.

Davis shook the dust off his head and cursed. There was no way he could fight in this situation. He had to find another way out of this place.

"Daisuke, what do we do?" V-Mon asked. He took a few steps back and held his fists out in a defensive position.

Davis shouted, "RUN!" They turned and sped off, the Guardromon on their tail.

The streets of Metal City complex and confusing. Davis had never been to a metropolis before, but if he were to describe the roads and alleys, Metal City would have been the first thing that came to his mind. He and V-Mon turned left and right randomly, not daring to stop and check if they were still being followed. After some time, they paused to catch their breath. Davis sat down hard and V-mon went down in a kneeling position.

"Daisuke, I think we lost him," V-mon said between gasps for breath.

Davis looked around and said gloomily, "Yeah, but we lost ourselves as well. Where are we anyway?"

They were apparently in some sort of hallway. There wasn't much light and there was nobody around. Everywhere they turned they say grey and silver.

"Great, we are hopelessly lost. I thought Taichi said this was going to be _easy,_ " Davis said sarcastically. "How can we get home?"

"How about contacting the others through email?" his partner suggested.

Davis snapped his fingers. "Good idea, V-mon. I'll ask her to get us some food as well." He brought out his D-Terminal and began to type.

* * *

The Chosen Children tumbled out of the computer and landed in a heap in the computer room. Hikari shook her head and got up. She thought she heard a crash right after she entered the Digital Gate. The rest of the children freed themselves from the dogpile stretched. The Digimon had degenerated back to their Baby levels as well.

"Man, we totally screwed up big time. Not only did we fail to destroy the Dark Tower, but we got our butts handed to us," Miyako said as she dusted herself off. Iori stood next to her rubbing a sore spot on his head.

Takeru looked around and did a head count. There were short of one goggle-wearing leader at the moment. "Wait a minute, where's Daisuke?"

Panic welled inside Hikari's chest. "He was right after me… I heard something loud after going through the Gate. Daisuke-kun!" She held her hand up to her mouth, eyes shining with worry. "I should have made sure he came with me!"

Tailmon shook her head and said, "No, it wasn't your fault. I believe it was a Guardromon that destroyed the TV set."

"Anyhow, Daisuke-san is trapped in the Digital World. We have to go back and find him." Iori told the others. He looked at his partner Upamon and asked, "Upamon, can you Evolve and fight?" His partner shook his head, or entire body in his case.

"Sorry, Iori. I am too hungry to fight now dagyaa."

Miyako glanced the Digimon. They all looked weary and down. If food was their problem, then she'd have to solve it. The nearest food source was the canteen, which was a minute's walking distance away. She should be able to get there in less than half that time if she ran. She hoped that there wasn't a long queue. The girl stood up and declared, "I'm going to buy some food. You guys wait here." She rushed out of the computer room and sped to the canteen.

Just then, Hikari received an email. She checked the sender and found it was from Davis. She heaved a sigh of relief as she read the text. "Daisuke-kun says he's safe for now, but we need to get V-mon some food."

Takeru smiled and let his shoulders relax. Their friend was fine after all. He sat down and brought up a map of the Digital World on the screen. After a quick search he found Metal City's portal. "As I thought, we cannot get to Metal City directly anymore. However, we can enter using a nearby Gate, but it's outside of the city."

Hikari nodded. "I'll email Daisuke-kun and have him try to get as close to the city entrance as possible. We still need to wait for Miyako to get back." She began typing away on her D-Terminal. All the while, Takeru and Iori silently watched her work. Takeru's lips curled slightly, admiring his old friend's determination. Years ago during their adventure in the Digital World, he had seen that fiery strength in her brother. He remembered clearly when Taichi was so determined to save Sora, no matter what. He briefly wondered if Hikari would be that way if he ever got into trouble but he shook his head.

 _Of course she would. I believe in her._

A few moments after Hikari hit the 'send' button, Miyako slid open the computer room door, glasses slightly askew and she was panting heavily. She held up a plastic bag full of sandwiches, "I got the food." Takeru hurriedly passed the bag to Iori and steadied the taller girl to a chair.

Hikari grabbed two sandwiches for V-mon and one for Tailmon. She held out her pink D3 towards the screen and cried, "Digital Gate, open!" She and Tailmon got sucked through immediately, leaving behind a helpless Iori, a shocked Takeru and a breathless Miyako.

Takeru grit his teeth. Who knew Hikari would act so rashly. He wasn't about to let her just go off on her own, so he said, "Iori-kun, Miyako-san, it's getting late. We need to inform our parents about that, so please get help!" He grabbed a sandwich and held up his green D3, then he and Patamon disappeared into the computer after Hikari.

"What the hell! I just got back and now I have to run _again_?" Miyako complained. She had just recovered from her sprint and was feeling slightly better.

Iori looked at her sternly. "Miyako-san, we need to inform Hikari-san, Takeru-san and Daisuke-san's parents. Our best bet would be to get Taichi-san, since his school is nearby."

Miyako wiped the sweat off her brow with her sleeves. "I know, I know. Let me take a short break, then we can get going.

Poromon asked shyly from atop Miyako's shoulder. "Um, can we have the remaining food? We're hungry."

* * *

Davis and V-mon felt like they have been walking in circles for hours. Everything looked the same everywhere. He couldn't understand how anyone could live here. How he hoped to come across a sign of life to tell him which way to go. His legs were starting to feel tired and his throat was parched. He regretted not asking Hikari to get him some water. The only good thing was the city had a good cooling system, otherwise he would have felt like walking across a desert.

V-mon tugged at his pant leg. "Daisuke, can we take a break?"

Davis agreed. They promptly stopped and sat down, backs against a wall for support. They sat in silence, not wanting to exhaust more energy. Davis heard a blip from his pocket and took out his D-Terminal. It read: "Daisuke-kun, Please try and get as close as possible to the main entrance of Metal City. Be safe! -From Hikari."

The boy let his hand drop. He had no idea how to get back to the main road, much less navigate back to the entrance. He sighed, frustrated by how the day turned out. Next to him, V-mon stood up abruptly and growled at the darkness. Davis looked to where his partner was staring at and spotted a pair of glowing yellow eyes. He tensed up and prepared to make a break for safety but the creature showed itself.

It was the size of a computer mouse, completely silver in colour. A pair of zigzagged antennae protrude above its oval eyes and it had a wire as long as its body for a tail. It said in a high pitched voice, "Hello! You are a human right?"

Davis and V-mon relaxed. The little guy didn't seem harmful at all. "Yes, I am human. My name is Dav—Daisuke. Call me Daisuke." Davis mentally slapped himself for his slip up. V-mon noticed it and gave his partner a curious look.

"Well, okay Daisuke. My name is Metalkoromon. Are you lost? There seems to be another human who is lost as well," Metalkoromon said cheerfully.

Davis' curiosity spiked at that. Hikari and the others wouldn't be in here yet, so it must be someone else. He didn't know of Chosen Children other than his team. Perhaps they could find a way out of this together. He crouched forward and asked the metal Digimon. "Can you lead me to this human?"

Metalkoromon bounced up and down happily. "Sure, just follow my lead." It changed direction and hopped off. Davis and V-mon looked at each other and an understanding passed between them. The got up and trailed their new guide.

* * *

When Metalkoromon mentioned a human getting lost in the city, Davis had _not_ considered Ichijouji Ken. He was utterly surprised to see him there when the metal mouse led him through the complex network of streets and to its hidey hole. The boy genius was sitting in the midst of a dozen of Metalkoromon, laughing merrily. When Davis entered the scene, the crowd of baby turned their attention to him and swarmed the google-bearer. A few jumped onto V-mon and crawled all over, causing him to scream foul whilst laughing from being ticklish.

A Kapurimon hopped into the room with a tray of rectangular batteries on its head and said, "That's enough, stop bothering the humans and take your lunch." He set down the tray and the baby Digimon rushed towards it. Davis saw one plug its antennae into the terminals, then its tail began to spark.

"Interesting, aren't they?" Ken said to Davis. "The way they feed is completely different from biological beings, resembling machines recharging their energy. Yet they can't be classified as machines with Artificial Intelligence, can they?"

Davis didn't know how to respond to that. Ichijouji seemed rather mysterious, and there was an air of confidence around him. They watched the Digimon noisily 'eat' their 'lunch'. A Metalkoromon got into a fight with another Metalkoromon over a battery and Kapurimon had to break them up, exasperatedly telling them to share.

Seeing the Digimon replenish their strength made Davis realise how thirsty and tired he was. V-mon's stomach grumbled right next to him and the dragon rubbed his empty stomach. Davis swallowed, trying to soothe his dry throat. He turned to Ken to ask about him being in the Digital World when suddenly a familiar green caterpillar crawled into the hall, carrying a bottle of water in his front limbs.

"Ken-chan, here's your water bottle," Wormmon said before gasping at the sight of Davis and V-mon. Ken's eyes flashed with anger and warning at Wormmon. A recollection of being chained to a cliff and hearing that name went through Davis' head. He put two and two together and he pointed his index finger at Ken.

"You… You're the K—" he managed to choke out before Ken's hand clamped down on his mouth at the speed of lightning. The dark haired boy twisted Davis' hand into a lock behind his back, causing V-mon to react.

"Hey, what do you think you—" Wormmon's Sticky Net glued the dragon's mouth shut before he could say more. V-mon clawed at the web, trying to remove it. Wormmon came closer and made a sign to be silent.

"Sorry, but I'll explain later. Just don't say anything and get out of here," Wormmon told V-mon in a low voice. V-mon nodded and attempted to free his mouth.

Kapurimon and the Metalkoromon stopped what they were doing to look at the humans. The child level Digimon questioned, "What's going on here?"

Ken put on a smile and reassured him, "It's nothing much. Motomiya-san here was about to say something inappropriate. Let me take him outside and talk to him." He directed Davis out of the hall and walked till they were out of earshot.

Once they were far enough, Ken released Davis. The latter spun around and threw a punch but Ken sidestepped easily and held out a leg. Davis' momentum caused him to trip over and he landed face-first with a grunt. V-mon, finally free of the web patch on his face, hurried over to help his partner up.

Davis stood up and glared at Ken. He rubbed his sore wrist and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "What the heck was that about?"

Ken glanced around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "I can't have you revealing that I'm the Kaiser in front of the Digimon I had just befriended, can I? I didn't come here to make enemies today."

Davis snorted and stood up to his full height. Ken was a couple of centimetres taller than him. The burgundy haired boy got into the other's face and snarled, "Oh you already have enemies to worry about, namely me. Your Guardromon almost got V-mon and I killed, and I don't take almost getting killed lightly."

Ken sighed. "I know, but I come today not as the Digimon Kaiser. I come as Ichijouji Ken."

"What difference does that make?"

Ken's eyes flashed. " _The difference is,_ I'm not carrying a whip and equipment to subjugate you and judging from you and your partner's haggard looks, you wouldn't be able to resist anyway. So just be grateful that I'm not the Kaiser for now." He pushed Davis and the latter fell on his bottom.

Davis got back to his feet and said hoarsely, "I cannot let you leave just like that. You have caused enough suffering. You will not harm the innocent Digimon, not while I am here." He ended his sentence with a cough, his dry throat affecting him. He rubbed his neck, trying to ease the soreness.

Ken shook his head and took the water bottle from Wormmon. He held it out to Davis who looked like he had been handed a grenade. Ken rolled his eyes and drank from the bottle. "It's just water, Motomiya. Just drink it."

Davis looked suspicious but slowly accepted the purple bottle. He drank deeply and gasped, savouring the cool liquid flowing down his throat. He passed the bottle to V-mon who greedily pour the rest of the water down his gullet.

Grudgingly, Davis handed the bottle back to Ken and thanked him. "You know, for a supposedly cruel tyrant you show a lot of mercy."

Ken chuckled and sat down in front of Davis. Wormmon adjusted himself in his arms so that he was positioned to fire just in case Davis tried something funny. "You'll be surprised. I show more mercy than you know."

Wormmon nodded. "It's true. Ken-chan has changed a lot recently. He's back to the old kind Ken-chan."

Davis rubbed his chin. "Well, you did call for a ceasefire when Iori fell into the river. What changed?"

Ken looked away. "I couldn't let anyone of you die. I know in this world you can die and I won't have any deaths on my conscience."

Davis leaned forward. "You already know that this isn't a game. So why are you still doing this? Why do you carry on with the Kaiser masquerade?"

"Because it is my mission and my responsibility."

Upon hearing that, Davis choked on his saliva. He coughed violently and V-Mon thumped his back. When the coughing subsided, he asked, "What the heck are you talking about? Your _responsibility? Mission?_ Do you realise how stupid you sound? You're saying that your job is to be the bad guy."

Ken narrowed his eyes. "If you knew what I was talking about, you wouldn't take this lightly. Apparently you don't, although I didn't expect you to. You probably haven't regained your memories yet."

Davis froze. Ken had just mentioned his memories. He knew something about him, about his past. The goggle-bearer gripped Ken's shoulders. "What do you know about this? Tell me!"

Ken shook off the boy's grasp and stepped back. "I don't remember the full story yet. I just have a feeling that my brother isn't supposed to be dead and I barely recall somebody telling me to be the Digimon Kaiser. Images and flashbacks that don't fit anywhere in this timeline are appearing in my head. The details are sketchy, but you are part of my past. So I assumed that if I had suppressed memories, so do you."

Davis clenched his fists. "How did you begin to remember? I got a painful flashback when Taichi touched my head. It felt like Déjà vu."

Ken exchanged glances with Wormmon. "We… had a really interesting encounter with a Kokuwamon that included a lot of electricity. Anyway, the shock jolted a few memories back but I really don't recommend hooking yourself to a car battery. My point is, there's more to you—to us—than meets the eye."

There was a silence that followed. "Do you realise how corny that sounds?" Davis commented after a moment. "What else do you remember?"

Ken snorted but ignored the jibe. He replied, "I don't know. I know that I have two separate sets of memories right now, and both of them don't match up. What I concluded from this is that I had a previous life. _We_ had a previous life."

Davis looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say. Ken's theory sounded ridiculous and yet he couldn't help but believe him. Deep down, he sensed that Ichijouji wasn't lying. That would explain his blurred out past and sudden headache days earlier.

Ken grunted and stood up. "I know it sounds blasphemous, but I'm not making it up. Good luck on getting your memories back, Motomiya." He got up with Wormmon on his shoulder and made to leave. He stopped after a few steps and turned his head to the right. He was about to say something but he closed his mouth and left, leaving Davis and V-mon sitting on the cold hard ground.

When he disappeared from view completely, Davis noticed that he was still holding the purple bottle. He turned it around in his hands, inspecting it. The bottle was cylindrical with a wider base. It had Ichijouji Ken written on the side. The surface was smooth and clean, save for a few barely noticeable scratches. Davis would have to return it to him one day, since he didn't feel like running after the boy genius.

A slight sound from around the corner caught V-mon's attention and he said, "Who's there?"

It was the Metalkoromon that had led them to the den. He peeked out from the corner and meekly came out. "Sorry, I couldn't help but follow you. I heard you guys talking just now."

Davis walked over and held out his palm. Metalkoromon hopped onto it and the boy brought his hand to chest level. "How much did you overhear?"

Metalkoromon shifted uncomfortably. "About almost everything. Is he really the Digimon Kaiser? He seemed so nice. It's hard to imagine that someone like him would be so bad."

Davis paused, not sure how to answer. "I think he's just confused. He said that it was his duty to be the Kaiser, so there must have been someone who gave him the job. I really don't kow what to think of him anymore…" A blip came from his D-terminal and he handed Metalkoromon to V-mon as he checked his inbox. It was a message from Hikari, saying that she and Takeru were at the entrance to the city.

"Good, she's here. The problem is, we have no idea how to get to the entrance," Davis said.

Metalkoromon's antennae sparked and his eyes lit up. "I can take you there. I know Metal City like the back of my hand."

V-mon asked, "Won't Kapurimon be worried that you're going off on your own?"

The computer mouse-like Digimon responded, "He needn't worry. I'm leaving Metal City anyway. I always wanted to see the outside world. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Now, are we going or what?"

* * *

 _A/N: I admit, this was a semi-tough chapter to write. I couldn't decide if I wanted Ken to remember everything or leave him in the dark. His knowledge changes his personality. An ignorant Ken would have continued to act like the Kaiser we know, only with a bit more of a conscience. A fully awakened Ken would act completely different. So in the end I chose the middle path, letting his memories slowly return. That way the plot wouldn't accelerate too much and it wouldn't be too slow either. This was partially inspired by RDF1's Davis' Time Travel Adventure where both Davis and Ken have full memories of their past but my version has them both slowly regaining their memories and unlike DTTA, they don't know the history of the canonverse._

 _Secondly, I changed something this time around so that Davis got stranded instead of Hikari because let's face it, it would have been so much more boring. Hikari is one of the most boring characters in 02, although she has gotten cheeky in Tri. I ALMOST went with the original but inspiration told me to do something different. Also, did you notice how the anime mentioned the Digimon getting tired and hungry but suddenly regaining the strength to fight after that with no reason at all? It bothered me a lot._

 _The next update will probably take a while. I'm still stuck on that MOTOS update and I have tons of stories and updates on my reading list as well. Hope you had fun reading. As always, please leave a review, subscribe and have a nice day. ;)_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Navigating Metal City was a hundred times easier with a guide. Suddenly the twists and turns weren't as confusing to Davis as they once were. MetalKoromon snuggled comfortably on Davis' palm, squeaking instructions to the boy and his partner. The trio took detours to avoid the main street and the tight surveillance of the Digimon Kaiser. Davis wondered briefly if Ken would turn a blind eye to his escape, but then again he wouldn't because he had a _mission and responsibility_ to make sure saving the Digital World was no easy task for them.

Ken had given Davis much to think about but to the burgundy haired boy, nothing made much sense. If the Kaiser was actually a good guy, that would make him a double agent. But he could also be lying to throw him off guard.

 _What nutter would cook up such an insane plan, and why would Ken, the almighty genius accept it?_

Then again, there was mention of his memories. Ken said that they knew something the others didn't, and Ken had regained his memories much sooner than Davis. His eyes had shown sincerity and truth in them.

His rational side reasoned that Ken was a good liar.

Davis' gaze shifted down towards the purple tumbler in his other hand. When he returned it to Ken, he was going to wring more answers out of him. Hopefully, his amnesia would have improved by then.

Behind him, he heard a soft thud. He turned around and saw V-mon sprawled face-down on the ground. Startled, he hurried over to help his fallen partner up. The blue dragon had his eyes shut. Davis placed MetalKoromon on his shoulder and gently patted V-Mon's cheek. "V-mon, buddy. Are you alright?" he asked concernedly.

V-mon slowly opened an eye. He grinned weakly and replied, "I'm fine. I just feel very tired and hungry. I wonder if I should have tried to eat the sticky webbing."

MetalKoromon's eyes blinked on and off as he spoke, "You don't look okay. I think we should rest."

V-mon struggled to his feet wobbly, using Davis as support. "I said I'm okay. Look, I can keep going all day," he said, before falling into Davis' arms again.

The boy sighed and stuffed the bottle into the pocket of his jacket and lugged V-Mon over his back in a piggyback ride. Fortunately, V-Mon was only until Davis' waist and weighed no more than a light toddler. Davis grunted and shifted his weight, whereas MetalKoromon hopped onto V-Mon's head.

"Daisuke, I am fine. You don't have to carry me," the blue Digimon protested.

"Nonsense, you have burnt yourself out. Now, just hang on tight. MetalKoromon, lead the way." A beep sounded from his pocket and he pulled out his D-Terminal. He read the message and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, that was fast. Hikari and Takeru are inside the citadel and are asking me to wait at the entrance."

They found their way to the main entrance. Davis hurriedly halted his tracks and hid around the corner when he spotted two Guardromon standing next to the glass entrance. The metal walls were twenty feet tall, thick enough to withstand the might of an armada. There was no way they could scale the barrier.

"I don't suppose the Guardromon would just let us leave huh?" V-Mon commented from atop Davis' back.

"Why don't you ask?" Davis shot back quietly, peeking out around the corner. He couldn't see really clearly from where he was but he thought the Guardromons' eyes were not glowing red. "I don't see any Evil Rings on them. Do you think Takeru and Hikari took care of them?" he murmured.

"Um, Daisuke, I think we just got spotted." V-Mon pointed to their left. True enough, a Guardromon was walking their way. When it got close enough, it said in a robotic voice, "Unauthorized non-resident identified. Intruder alert. Intruder alert." Seconds later, alarms blared.

"Unauthorized? No-one told me I had to sign my name at the gates!" Davis grabbed his Digimon companions and fled. He didn't see where he was going and tripped, sending the trio sprawling. Davis rubbed his bruised chin and rolled over on his back, only to see two missiles heading towards him. He closed his eyes and raised a hand to shield himself, preparing himself for the explosion that would tear through steel and flash.

"Silver Blaze!"

The missiles exploded a safe distance away from Davis, but he still felt the wave of heat wash over his body. When he opened his eyes, he saw a white blur fall from the sky in front of the approaching Guardromon. With incredible speed, Tailmon slashed upwards. Her sharp claws shredded the Evil Ring on the metal sentry's chest, deactivating the robot.

Pegasmon landed in front of Davis and his riders dismounted. Hikari and Takeru helped Davis get on his feet. The boy had a face as white as sheets and he was breathing heavily. Hikari placed a hand on Davis' shoulder and asked worriedly, "Daisuke-san, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"We're lucky to have found you in time. That was a really close call," Takeru said.

Taking deep breaths to calm his nerves, Davis raised his hand. "I'm fine, don't worry. That was _really_ scary." Then his face scrunched up, a vein bulging at his forehead and he shouted to the heavens, "Damn it, Ken! That's the second time I almost got killed today!" He was sure the Kaiser was watching somewhere and imagined him nodding apologetically.

Davis' human companions were startled by the outburst, as well as confused by why Davis had yelled a certain name. The goggle bearer huffed and smiled. "That felt good."

Hikari and Takeru nodded uncertainly. Tailmon came up to them and reminded, "We have to get out of here. More servants of the Kaiser will be here soon."

Realising that they were in a tight spot, the Chosen Children readied themselves to escape. V-Mon gave a weak whimper and reverted to his Baby form, Chibimon. "I'm starving," he said. Davis picked up both MetalKoromon and his partner. "Hang in there, little guy. We'll be home soon and you'll have food," said Davis. Chibimon nodded and curled up in his partner's chest.

Davis whispered to MetalKoromon, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The metal mouse's eyes glowed. "Yes, I am. Staying here won't do us any good. I want to get out and get stronger, then I can come back and save my friends."

Davis pursed his lips and was silent for a moment. Then he told MetalKoromon to stay quiet as he slotted the creature into the inner pocket of his jacket. He spotted a purple object to his left, which turned out to be Ken's tumbler, which he had dropped when he tripped. Picking it up, he brushed off the water bottle and pocketed it.

"Daisuke-san, hurry up! We have to leave!" Hikari's eyes widened in shock and she screamed. "Look out!"

Davis turned his head and found several missiles heading his way. Not again, he thought as he rolled out of the way. A high pitched squeak came from his pocket. He had rolled over MetalKoromon by accident. Apologizing profusely and hugging Chibimon in his arms more tightly, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the exit where Takeru and Hikari were waiting.

The glass door slid open to let them out and they ran out to safety. Once outside, they sprinted and didn't look back until they reached the TV set with sat in the dunes. To their chagrin, a dust tornado was making its way towards them from opposite the portal.

"We're not going to make it," shouted Takeru. Pegasmon had reverted back to Patamon and was clinging onto his partner's hat for dear life, whereas the boy had a hand on it to make sure it didn't get blown away.

"We have to! If we miss this then it's a very long trek through the desert and we're in no condition to do so," Davis shouted in reply. "D-3's out and ready!"

The TV set began to shake violently was the tornado approached. Davis stepped on a patch of moving sand and he fell to one knee. A hand gripped his arm firmly and he looked up to see Hikari's determined expression.

"Not this time, we're not leaving without you." She jerked him onto his feet and they took off towards their exit. Tailmon took Chibimon from Davis and said, "I'll handle him, go!"

The tornado was nearing TV set every second. Takeru who stood by the portal waved them over, urging them to be faster. He then held out his green D-3 and vanished through the gate. Hikari and Davis held theirs out but the TV set rose into the air.

"Leap towards it!" Davis cried out and they did so, vanishing into the portal just in time before the cyclone tossed the TV set right into the air and it crashed on the ground, its screen fizzling with static.

Davis felt the familiar pull through the portal like zooming face first down the slide. A moment later, he crashed onto the pile of humans and Digimon. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was five thirty in the evening. They had left for the Digital World at four. Had he only been wandering aimlessly for such a short while?

The dogpile untangled themselves. At the bottom of the mountain was Taichi, Iori and Miyako. The latter's partners were on the computer table. Takeru stood and helped them up whereas Hikari attended to her brother.

Davis dusted himself off. Thankfully his clothes had changed so there wasn't any sand. The Digital World had a free laundry system for him, but the same couldn't be said for Hikari and Takeru. He froze for a moment, as he remembered Metalkoromon. Did that little guy disappear along with his clothes? He patted his pockets and felt a wriggling bulge in his pants pocket while Ken's bottle was in this other. He didn't even want to question how they got there. He placed a hand over Metalkoromon and the Digimon stopped moving.

Taichi stretched and cricked his neck. "Well, turns out we're saved the trouble to going after them. How did everything go? Is everyone alright?"

Miyako got on her feet and shrieked. "No, I am not alright! I just ran all the way to the cafeteria and back, then we had to go all the way to get Taichi-sempai. Now that we just got back here, Daisuke and the rest are fine? That's too much!"

Davis glared at her. " _I_ almost being killed by missiles three times today, had to run through a maze of the city without any food and water for ages and Veemon couldn't Evolve to fight. Thank you for asking." He scoured his bag for his unfinished lunch and gave it to Chibimon, who gratefully devoured it.

Clenching her fists, Miyako turned red with rage. She was about to unleash a rant when Iori stopped her. There was no point in fighting among themselves, he reminded her, and the only thing that mattered was everyone is safe. The girl folded her arms and looked away.

Taichi rubbed his head. "Did you at least destroy the Dark Tower?"

Nobody looked at him. Taichi sighed, understanding the situation. "It's alright. Everyone go home and rest. We'll discuss this tomorrow."

The kids shuffled out of the room. Hikari handed Davis the sandwiches she brought with her. The bread was squashed in her pockets but he accepted them with a smile. "You can thank Miyako for them. She rushed to get us this food after all."

Davis glanced at the retreating figure and nodded begrudgingly. He gave them to Chibimon who tore open the wrappers and inhaled the bread. She walked out with Takeru first, leaving Davis in the room with Taichi.

The older boy placed a hand on his junior's shoulder and faced him. The Davis was looking at the floor. "Daisuke, don't worry too much about today. You haven't fail, you just haven't succeeded yet. We've seen worse in our old days. There is still a way to take back Metal City, don't fret."

The younger boy's eyes slowly rose to meet Taichi's. "I just feel… it's complicated. I feel angry that we couldn't retake Metal City, but I'm glad that everyone else is fine. I also feel scared. I almost died three times today. Do you know how that feels?"

Yagami's face broke into a huge grin and he threw his head back, barking with laughter. He wiped the tears from his eyes, his expression still full of mirth. "You have no idea. Back when we were eight kids around your age, seven to be exact because Hikari didn't join us until later, running around in the Digital World with no idea what to do and where to go… We faced dangers every day, ran from and fought enemies, all while having no idea how to get home."

His laughter died after a while. "I never really thought about emotions and all. The only thing in my mind was to keep everyone safe. A leader always puts his team before himself. I sensed that in you, and that was why I gave you these." Taichi tapped the goggles on Davis' head. "Maybe you should to Yamato and Sora, they could teach you a thing or two about emotions and fear."

Davis rubbed the goggles absentmindedly. He wore them just to show appreciation towards Taichi's generosity. He didn't give the symbolism of leadership much thought. They had grown on him, and he was beginning to feel fond of the headgear.

"Well, it's time to go. Better keep up on soccer practice, Daisuke. Don't let me down." He suddenly realised that he had a Science Project that was abandoned halfway when Miyako and Iori came for help. "Oh shoot, I have to go. See you, Daisuke!" Taichi shot down the hallway like a bullet.

* * *

Ken stood in the dark throne room, facing the screens. He still wore his grey garments, unchanged since his departure from Metal City. His cameras showed his foes' hasty retreat as waves of enslaved Guardromon flooded towards their targets. Metal City was still his, and it will remain so for the time being. The Chosen Children would not return to retake the citadel soon, he was sure. Their next encounter will be somewhere else. It was the first victory he had had for some time now and he felt a grim sense of satisfaction, dampened only by his knowledge that it was not just a game anymore.

Nevertheless, he could now redirect his focus towards other more urgent matters, like how there was a dark figure leaning against the wall at the corner. The shadows concealed his appearance, but they did not stop his dichromic eyes from gleaming like polished jewels through the dark.

"Who are you?" the Kaiser demanded without turning his head, opting to see out of the corner of his eyes.

The figure chuckled and its eyes, one red and one purple beamed at him. When it spoke, a male voice emanated from it. The sound was not unlike a man's voice layered with robotic echoes, making it sound slightly demonic. "I am who you think I am, but I am also not who you think I am. I am simply me."

"Stop speaking in riddles. How did you get in here?"

"My, my... Such impatience. Didn't you want to know who I am?"

Ken didn't speak, merely glaring sideways at the intruder. He saw the figure move and haphazardly guessed that it was a shrug.

"I am but a servant of higher powers, invoked by the moment you realised you were more than you seemed. You can call me an advisor, of all sorts."

"What sort of advice?"

Another shrug. "Depends. To keep things short I am here to help you fulfil your role as the Kaiser, in case you haven't already figured that out."

Ken turned to face the figure fully. He pointed a finger at the newcomer, saying sharply, "I think I am doing perfectly fine as the Kaiser, I don't need your help. Who do you work for?"

The dual coloured eyes vanished. Ken spun around as the voice from the darkness laughed from behind him and saw the figure next to his screens. Even the light from the lit screens couldn't reveal who he was.

"You're doing fine? Is that how you call the fiasco that has been your 'kingdom' for the past month? Letting these upstarts," the dark figure waved a hand and images of the chosen children appeared all over the screens, "thwart your quest to reorganise the Digital World? Oh yes, I think you're doing pretty well."

The Kaiser gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at the sarcastic comment. He summoned a panel, ready to initiate an alarm to summon his guards. A warning "uh-uh" stopped him.

"You don't really want to do that. Your guards will think you're going crazy. In fact, your little green friend over there probably already does."

Ken turned his head to spot Wormmon looking at him concernedly from the door. His antennae wriggled, sensing his partner's distress.

"Ken-chan, are you okay? I heard you talking to someone," the caterpillar Digimon asked.

Glancing back towards the figure, Ken said, "Don't you see this person right here? We have an intruder. Get the guards."

Wormmon squinted towards the place where the mystery intruder supposedly stood. He blinked and said, "There's no one there, Ken-chan. What are you talking about?"

Ken's eyebrows furrowed and he insisted, "Look harder. Do you spot an odd-coloured pair of eyes right there? Next to the computer screens?"

His partner shook his head. "No, I don't see anyone. Are you alright, Ken-chan? Are you sure you're not seeing things?"

The figure laughed and replied, "He can't see me, _Ken-chan_. No one else can, and no one would believe you if you told them. I am inside your head, boy."

Ken pointed at the intruder and closed his eyes. Concentrating hard, he imagined that the figure disappeared completely. "Then you are just a figment of my imagination. Begone!" He opened his eyes and the intruder had indeed vanished. Then, an amused snort and slow clapping came from the other side of the room, sitting cross-legged right next to really worried Wormmon.

"Boom, and I'm gone. From that spot. Congratulations, you made me disappear. Thank you for enjoying the show and hope you have a good night." Wormmon poked the air where Ken's eyes were drilling holes into.

Not taking his eyes of the sarcastic speaker, Ken ordered, "Leave me, Wormmon. I'll be fine. I think I'm just tired. I'll go back home soon to call it a day."

"Are you sure, Ken-chan? You don't look so well."

The figure nodded and jerked his head in the Digimon's direction. He stroke Wormmon on the head but the Digimon didn't seem to notice. "What he said. Are you sure you want to be alone with me?"

After giving the impertinent intruder another glare, Ken faced Wormmon and said gently but sternly, "I will be. Now hop on, get yourself some rest too. I'll see you tomorrow." His partner reluctantly crawled out of the room.

The figure made a Tsk-tsk sound and sighed. "I like Wormmon. He's such a nice little guy, unlike his emotionally unstable partner."

Ken was struggling hard not to tackle the figure for being so annoying. He asked tiredly, "What do you want? If your purpose is to torment me with irritating comments and riddles then you have achieved your goal. Your voice itself is hell to listen to. Please leave me alone."

The figure stood up agilely and raised his hands as if in surrender. He took a few steps towards and some light reflected off his body. Ken understood why he couldn't see what the person looked like. He wore a black full body suit with mildly reflective black armour which covered his torso, legs knee down and forearms. His face was a smooth black mask with two eye holes. He looked like an unarmed mix of a Dark Trooper and a Shinobi.

"Why the fancy black suit? Are you a ninja, here to kill me?" Ken said snidely. He had to maintain the impression that he was in control, whether or not that was true. This was his throne room and he was the one with power, he kept reminding himself. It would not do to show weakness in front of a potential foe, even if said foe claimed to be in his head.

The masked man snorted. "Please, I am not one of those overrated wall crawlers who claim to be professional assassins. I'm not one of those flashy anime characters that disappear in a cloud of smoke either. Killing however, that is easy… I have killed more than I cared to count. But for the record, no. I'm not here to murder you, although it would be as easy as snapping my fingers to cause you brain damage and leave you as a permanent vegetable."

The tone was calm, but the threat hung in the air. Queasiness filled Ken's stomach and he clenched his fists. He repeated, "What do you want?"

Dichromic eyes rolled at the question. "It's always what do I want. What do I want? I want order, I want balance, and I want a bowl of good ramen, something I haven't had in a long time."

The last part came as a surprise to Ken. He raised his eyebrow. The masked man caught the look and said, "You asked me who I work for, I can only say that there are higher forces in a battle of good versus evil. You are an instrument, one that will even the playing field. The Chosen Children need to grow stronger, and so do you. Your job is to make them more powerful and to do that, you need to become a bigger threat than you already are. You need to up the stakes, that's what I am here for."

Ken looked at him carefully. "So you are telling me that my role as the Kaiser is to provide threats to the Digital World so that the Chosen Children can grow stronger and defeat me and subsequently the true evil?"

"You got the gist of it."

Ken mulled the thought over for a while. Then he said, "Makes sense. My intuition tells me that this is true. My memories are not completely recovered yet but I have a feeling that this is what I was meant to do. I may not trust you, but I will consider taking your advice. _Maybe._ "

The masked man shrugged again. "I sense a capital 'M' in that maybe but alright. Your enemies may not know it yet, but you are a good guy, as long as you do the right thing."

"The right thing huh… Then will doing the wrong things for the right reasons make me a bad guy?"

Ken could somehow tell that behind the mask, the man was smiling. "The world is not split into black and white, boy. It depends on how you look at things. Would you tell a lie for the benefit of others? Would you kill to protect? I'll leave you for now. My advice for the time being is to step up your game. Use Perfect level Digimon to fight the Chosen Children. They need stronger enemies to battle with and you need to test your limits as well as the limits of your control toys. Goodbye."

"Wait. You still haven't told me who you are."

A chuckle resonated from the being. He said, "You sure are a persistent one, kind of reminds me of myself. For future reference, you may call me Nauticus, for I am one who gives directions."

The eyes closed and Ken felt the presence vanish from the room, leaving him alone with bright screens displaying the faces of the Chosen Children. He faced the flat screened monitors and folded his arms across his chest, deep in thought.

* * *

It was another day for the Chosen Children as they gathered in the computer room while waiting for Davis to turn up. The goggle boy had a meeting with his soccer club and was running late. Takeru and Hikari sat next to each other and chatted happily about the upcoming school festival, discussing what activities they would be able to do. Miyako held her head on her hand as she scrolled through the newsfeed of her mail, looking utterly bored. Being the hardworking one, Iori was doing his homework, occasionally giving a peeved look at the racket the Digimon were cooking up.

"Iori, could you please tell Upamon not to keep hitting me with that thing?" Patamon complained as he rubbed his side. His wings folded in front to shield his face.

"No, you shall pick up a ruler and fight me with honour dagyaa. Do not hold back like a coward yaa!" The beige fur ball held on to his ruler in his mouth and pounced at the orange hamster, attempting to whack his face. "I learned this move from watching Iori, Mee yan dagyaa!"

Patamon squeaked as he flapped his wings and levitated out of Upamon's reach. "Takeru, do something!" Upamon bounced about furiously, trying to land a hit while screeching at Patamon to come down and fight him like a true Mon. Poromon watched confusedly from the sides.

The blond boy laughed and said, "Don't worry, Patamon. Just play with Upamon. He can't hit as hard as Nagisa-sensei, I know that for sure." Hikari giggled at the thought. No one could ever escape the wrath of Disciplinary Teacher Miss Shiranui Nagisa. Students swore that their buttocks never felt the same again after that.

Miyako laid her head on the table and covered her head with her hands. Growing up with three siblings meant that she had learned to tolerate the near-hazardous noise levels. Heck, she had even learnt to sleep through it. That ability had gotten her late for class once or twice because she remained asleep even though her alarm was ringing and she had to adjust her biological clock. Unfortunately, this didn't mean she wasn't having a hard time shutting out the noise the Digimon (specifically Patamon and Upamon) were making while concentrating on finding a cure for her boredom.

Tailmon rested on the metal cupboard near the wall, curled up in a comfortable position. The view was great up there and she could see everything that was happening in the room. Great view or not, she usually chose to take a nap there where she wasn't bothered by anyone else. She flicked open an eye to observe her friends and shut it moments later.

Finally, Iori couldn't take it anymore for he stood up and walked over to Upamon. He took the ruler from his partner and addressed him sternly. "Upamon, this is not a toy. You shouldn't use it to hit others like Kendo. We need to wear protective equipment, and it's pronounced Mien, not Mee Yan."

Takeru grinned. "Iori-kun seems to be really into Kendo."

Not hearing him, Iori continued, "Upamon, I know you're excited but please don't make too much noise. We don't want to attract attention to ourselves."

The flaps on Upamon's ears drooped and his expression fell. "Sorry, Iori dagyaa. I won't misbehave again gyaa," he apologized, "I just want to play Kendo like you do."

Iori smiled gently and assured his partner that he would teach Upamon a bit of Kendo later. "Just let me finish my homework first, then we can learn Kendo at home."

Hikari smiled as well. "Although different, Digimon are very much like their human partners. Isn't that right, Tailmon?" She elicited a purr from the feline Digimon.

Patamon flew over into Takeru's chest. He looked up at the boy and said, "I'm just like Takeru. We're both easy going and happy." Takeru laughed in agreement and scratched the Digimon behind his ears, making him wriggle delightfully.

"I guess Poromon is like Miyako in some way, like how easily flustered they both are," Takeru commented. The pink Digimon squawked in disagreement and his feathers bristled.

"What do you mean by easily flustered? I am most _certainly_ not easily flustered. Not at all. Why are you all laughing?"

Miyako lifted her head enough to give the others the Evil Eye. Then she realised that they were one person – or Mon—down. "Where's Chibimon?"

The room went silent and burst into chaos as they scrambled to find the missing blue Digimon. Chibimon had a bad habit of sneaking off to search for food sometimes and the last thing they needed was a hungry rabbit-dragon wandering around the school. Tailmon's keen ears picked up something and she ordered everyone to be quiet.

"I think I hear singing."

She traced the sound to a quiet corner at the other side of the room. Situated at a corner was a small cupboard with its doors slightly open. She swung them open and there sat Chibimon with headphones connected to an mp3 player, singing softly and slightly out of tune. He looked up when he saw everyone looking at him.

"Is it time to go?" he yelled in his high pitched voice.

"No, but what are you doing?" Iori asked.

"What? I can't hear you!"

"I said, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU! IS DAISUKE HERE YET?"

Rolling her eyes, Tailmon stepped forward and pressed the stop button. Taichi had one of those machines and Hikari had taught her to go and turn it off when Taichi was being annoying at home. She pulled the headset off his head and tapped his forehead with a claw. "Can you hear us now?" She practically screamed at him.

Chibimon rubbed his ears and shook his head to clear his mind. "Loud and clear, Tailmon. Is it time to go?"

"No, Daisuke is not here yet. Where did you get these?" Tailmon held up the headset.

"Oh, that belongs to Daisuke. It's quite simple to use, really. Just put in the CD and—"

Takeru interrupted him quickly and said, "We know how to use it, thanks. By the way, was that Teenage Wolves that you were singing?" He knew his brother's songs well enough to tell which track from Yamato's albums Chibimon was singing.

Chibimon nodded eagerly. "Yep, Daisuke is a fan and so is Jun."

Takeru chuckled. "I know, we've met."

Patamon added, "If you want, we can take you to visit Yamato's place next time. I'm sure Daisuke will enjoy it there." Chibimon cheered. Takeru raised an eyebrow at his partner for making such a rash promise, one that he nor Yamato was consulted about. They were going to have a talk later.

Miyako was starring open-mouthed at Chibimon and her eyes dropped to what he was holding. "What… are you… Are you really?"

Iori caught on to what she was talking about and blinked in surprise. "I don't believe it."

Takeru's attention was caught next and his eye twitched. "You…"

Hikari was just as surprised. She asked the question on everyone's mind. "Are you reading an encyclopaedia?"

Chibimon looked down at the book he was reading beforehand and confirmed their suspicions. "Yep, I am. India seems like a really nice place to visit." Sure enough, before him was a fifth edition Encyclopaedia with many pictures. The page Chibimon was on had a photo of the Taj Mahal, the Indian Streets and sacks of curry spices.

Everyone else was at a loss for words. Hikari managed to ask in a strangled voice, "Can you read? Do you actually understand the printed letters?"

"Nope, not really. I mostly look at the pictures. I learned a bit of katagana from Daisuke, and I can guess what several words mean. I see him with headphones on while reading his books all the time. By the way, what does 'curry' mean?"

Hikari pulled Takeru aside and left Miyako and Iori to explain some things to Chibimon. "Hey, Takeru. Do you think that Daisuke-kun is acting weird?" she asked in a quiet tone.

Confused, he replied, "How so? He seems quite swell to me. He even taught Chibimon to read. You were really right when you said that Digimon take after their partners. Maybe I should get started on Patamon's education as well."

Hikari ignored the last part and said, "That's the thing. I know Daisuke-kun well enough to say that he wouldn't be reading books, at least not the usual type you and I read. He likes manga and comics, he likes watching TV and playing games. Soccer is his favourite sport and he practically lives and breathes it." She glanced at Chibimon for a second and continued, "But he seems to be every academically focused, spends less time on soccer and now he's _reading_? Something is very off here."

Takeru just shrugged. "Hey, people change all the time. Maybe his interests changed. All I can say is that he is doing well and that should be good, eh?"

Hikari nodded slowly, saying, "I guess… but this isn't right. He isn't the person I remember him to be…"

"Who isn't who you remember him to be?"

Hikari and Takeru jumped when they heard Davis' voice behind them. The boy had a curious expression and was carrying a sling bag. His friends hurriedly assured him that it was nothing. If eyebrows could rise even further, Davis' would have hit the ceiling. Deciding to let the matter drop, he asked, "Where's Chibimon?"

The gang parted a path and Davis was left staring at Chibimon with a headset and an open encyclopaedia. After a moment, Davis said, "You took my stuff without asking me."

Touching the tips of his stubby hands together, Chibimon nodded apologetically. "Sorry, Daisuke. I should have asked."

"Yep, you should have."

Trying to break the tension, Hikari asked, "How was your meeting? What was it about?"

Taking his eyes off Chibimon, Davis answered, "Big news. We're having a practice game this Sunday. Our opponent is the Tokyo Youth Soccer Tournament Champion, Tamachi Boys F.C."

"Wait, isn't that the team of the genius kid, Ichijouji Ken?" Miyako asked, suddenly alert. She quickly sat down at the computer she was using previously and did a quick internet search on Ken's profile.

Davis nodded, think darkly about how he was going to go up against the Digimon Kaiser's alter ego and maybe even lose badly, from what he had heard about him. The gang gathered around Miyako as she read the information out loud.

"Ichijouji Ken-kun of the Tamachi Boys F.C. scored a total of 45 goals in the last tournament, strongly securing his team's victory. No kidding, calling this guy a genius is no exaggeration."

Davis bit the inside of his cheek. "45 goals is really absurd. Even international players can't score that many goals. I don't see how we can beat them."

Hikari put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't fret, Daisuke-kun. Just try your best."

Davis agreed with her silently. It wasn't about winning anymore, it was more about not getting thrashed completely. The thought of losing to the Digimon Kaiser really soured his mood. Miyako's voice calling his name in a cute manner jerked him from his misery.

"Dai-chan?" He felt soft hands with long, gentle fingers grab his hand and held on to it.

"Even though you might get brutally defeated this Sunday, could you please be a sweet, proud loser and get me Ken's autograph?" She asked him cheerfully, perfect teeth gleaming at him. He gave her a deadpan look.

"I thought you said earlier that you weren't into younger guys?" Iori asked innocently. The corner of Davis' mouth curled upwards.

The lavender haired girl turned back to glare at the small boy. "What's one year? My own mom is three years older than my dad anyway."

 _Are her hormones raging that bad to be thinking about marrying at this age,_ Davis thought silently, _if she is like that at this age then I can't imagine how many kids she will have by the time she is 30._ Out loud he said, "Why don't you get it yourself?"

He added in his head, _you probably won't want it anymore after you find out who he really is._

Miyako blinked. "Good point. But, just in case I forget," she clenched his hand harder, "could you please help me?"

Davis rolled his eyes and agreed to it. "Alright, now can you please put my hand down?" The girl did so, embarrassed.

Hikari smiled and said, "Then we'll all go and give you support." The others gave grunts of assent. They were interrupted by Upamon bursting into song. The Digimon had Davis' headphones on and was trying to follow the melody of the Teenage Wolves' latest hit, making up words as he went along and ending with his usual dagyaa.

As everyone else sighed, Davis' face-palmed. He thought about the Ken's purple tumbler back at home, washed clean and dried, placed on the desk in his room. It turns out Ken would be getting his bottle back soon after all.

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry it took this long, but I have a part time job, music projects and a job as a beta reader to juggle in addition to my fics. Did I mention that I'm qualified to be a beta-reader now? So proud of myself._

 _There's a lot that went on in this chapter. Davis almost got killed several times, he knows who the Kaiser is, Ken has a new invisible 'friend' and the much awaited soccer tournament is coming up. Not being a fan of football, I hope I can write that well enough._

 _I have some sad news for MOTOS readers. I am putting the story on hold for the time being and diverting all attention towards this fic, which I intend to complete first. MOTOS as an AU requires a lot of set up and planning and judging by the pace it's going as compared to LFAW, it might yet double in chapter count. Having two parallel longfics is no easy job, so to those who want to attempt such a feat in the future, consider yourself warned. That being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next update._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

There was a countdown of two more days to the practice game with Tamachi Boys F.C., and Coach Tagado had drilled them for three days straight. He even brought Taichi in for a special session. Having finished his science project (with the reluctant assistance of Koushiro no less), the former ace of Odaiba Primary was more than happy to tutor his juniors in 'the art of soccer' and they had started the evening working on a formation that might help them defeat Tamachi in the upcoming match. He was so pumped up about it that he even busted out his signed Tokyo Titans uniform and brought along a whiteboard and a marker, propping it up for his lecture.

"If you watch the previous competition videos of Tamachi Boys F.C., they relied heavily on Ichijouji Ken to score their goals. Their formation was an all-out aggressive one, pushing forward so quickly that their opponents had no time to defend. Their own defence is weaker, with only two defender instead of the usual 4-4-2. They scored 37 out of the 45 goals with this," Taichi rapped the whiteboard with the blue marker. On it was a drawing of a field with positions 2-5-3 on it. The young players sat on the grass attentively, one of them was even taking notes. Davis eyed the board, trying to memorise the formation while Hikari sat down at the stands watching her brother talk. Taichi had strictly forbidden her to sit down next to Davis and join in the lecture because if she did, the whole team would lose attention from drooling and swooning at her. Even as she sat a fair distance away, Taichi had to clear his throat every time a few pairs of eyes strayed towards her direction, Davis' included.

"If Ichijouji is playing, then we can almost be sure that they will use this formation on Sunday as well. The assumption is that none of you will be able to withstand a full frontal assault to get a chance to strike back. You should be able to score easily if you can break through and get past their defenders," he finished.

Talking rippled through the group of players. Oroku, the boy who was eagerly noting down Taichi's words scribbled a few more words into his notepad and raised his hand. Taichi acknowledged him and Oroku asked his question.

"Senpai, what if we go full defensive and tire them out?" he asked. Davis nodded in agreement, apparently having the same thought.

Taichi smiled as he cleared the whiteboard of the contents and replied, "Good question. Tamachi's opponents last year had the same thought because they tried that during the second half, and it didn't stop Tamachi from scoring another 15 goals. No, that will not do."

The team groaned unanimously. There were moans of 'we're doomed' and 'beating them is impossible' from almost all the players. Even Coach Tagado looked grim. Davis understood how they felt.

 _Well, at least they don't know that Ichijouji is the Digimon Kaiser._ They _don't have the pressure of facing a known enemy,_ Davis thought.

Davis hadn't informed his teammates about Ken being the Kaiser, because it would not bode well for the team. The knowledge would prompt them to confront Ken, and Davis wouldn't be able to find out more. The Kaiser reckoned that there was more to them both than it seemed, but wasn't generous with that information. He felt slightly guilty about not telling his team, but it didn't concern them and he decided that they should remain ignorant about it.

A rapping sound caught his attention, as well as those around him. Taichi had drawn another diagram using a black marker this time and was about to explain. Davis spared Hikari a quick glance and saw her doing her homework at the stands.

"Now I know you are all anxious about it, but don't worry. With this formation you should be able to hold your ground for a while and perhaps even score a goal or two if you're lucky. The midfielders are—"

"Taichi!" The brunet turned his head towards the person who called his name and a grin spread over his face. Walking towards them was Sora, dressed in her green schoolgirl uniform. She had a bright smile plastered on her countenance. The Odaiba Primary team cheered as they got to meet another all-star senior. Sora may have officially given up soccer for tennis but that didn't mean she wasn't a legend amongst the junior team.

"What are you doing here, Taichi? I thought you were rushing back to do something," Sora inquired, putting her hands on her hips as she stood next to her friend.

"Oh hey, Sora. I was just giving these guys a briefing on their strategy for their upcoming game on Sunday. They'll be going against Tamachi Boys F.C.," Taichi answered, still giddy with glee that his best friend was here.

"Tamachi? We trashed them a couple of years ago, but I heard that they got a new star player. I heard that he is good." Back then, Sora was the only girl on the team. It wasn't that the rules prohibited girls from joining but it was because none of the other girls ever took interest in the sport. Until today, she remained the only girl to ever participate in a soccer tournament with an all-boys team.

"Yep, Ichijouji Ken. 45 goals throughout the game," her old friend confirmed.

Sora whistled, impressed. That was an average of one goal every two minutes. She scanned the whiteboard and nodded. Then she addressed the players with a warm smile. "Good luck, all of you. Just do your best. Remember, it's a fun game and we should enjoy it so don't put too much pressure on yourselves. Got it?"

The entire team responded as a whole with 'Yes, Sora-senpai'. Davis smiled at Sora who gave him a wink. She patted Taichi on the shoulder and walked towards Hikari. Taichi watch the redhead go with a dazed expression before he snapped back to reality and cleared his throat.

"Right, so as I was saying, the midfielders go here, here, and here. You need to make sure there is not a straight line that Ichijouji can charge through. You need to work on your speed as well…"

Taichi went on to give tips and advice, and they started practising their passing, dribbling and footwork. The former leader of the Chosen even taught Davis some moves he had learnt from Middle School, in hopes that they would help. Although he got the idea of it, Davis doubted he would be able to perform it perfectly on Sunday. Even Sora shouted some tips from the sides, constantly reminding the players to be alert and pointing out the choices of actions that would have been more effective while giving out compliments to those who succeeded.

"Our team members are all working hard, aren't they?" Hikari said to Coach Tagado who stood next to her. The adult grunted in approval and replied, "It was the right choice to invite your brother Yagami-san to help, and it was even luckier that Takenouchi-san chose to stop by. The players are striving extra hard to impress their star seniors."

"Do we have a chance of winning, Coach?" Hikari asked, her eyes on Davis who was trying to steal the ball from Taichi but wasn't making much progress.

Tagado shook his head. "From what I heard about Tamachi, no chance at all. The main point of this practice game is to train the kids. It is a chance for them to face opponents who are much better than them, so that they will see how far behind they are and hopefully improve themselves. The learning process is much more important than winning or losing."

Hikari nodded slowly, digesting the man's words. She saw Davis with his foot the ball, panting as her brother, also breathing heavily but not as bad as they younger boy, gave him the thumbs up and jogged off to oversee the other players. Picking up her camera, she called Davis' name. The boy turned towards her and spotted her holding her camera at him.

"Say cheese!" She yelled as Davis grinned and held up a peace sign. She pressed the button and snapped a few photos. She raised her hand in an OK sign and he waved back before kicking the ball in another direction and sprinting after it. Coach Tagado raised an eyebrow and smiled down at her as she checked the pictures on the screen behind the camera.

"Your photography skills are good," he commented, impressed. Beaming herself, she thanked him. Seeing something, Coach jogged off shouting, "Oi, Nima! Watch your passing! It's very sloppy!" and leaving Hikari to watch them all have fun learning and practising at the same time.

It was a great evening indeed.

* * *

So it was 6.45pm when practice ended and they were all dismissed. The sun was setting and birds flocked back to their nests for the night. Davis trudged home with legs aching from the intensive training he'd just gone through. Sweat beaded down his face, pooling together on his chin and dripping down to the ground below. He wiped it off using the sleeve of his already drenched jersey, getting a cool feeling on his neck. In front of him were a few of his teammates, en route to their own homes. They were midfielder identical twins Kusanagi Mura and Gen, defender Tendou Sai, and goalkeeper Hondou Ryuuga. Davis could hear their conversation loud and clear from behind, though he chose not to participate in it.

"Taichi-senpai was so cool! I hope I can be as good as him one day!"

"Sora-senpai was great too. She said I did well with that sliding tackle. Man, she looked so pretty…"

"Uh-huh, she had the perfect figure. Slim and athletic. So dreamy…"

"What's wrong with you guys? Are you seriously thinking in that way about our seniors? I heard she is already taken or something, by Ishida Yamato or someone like that." Davis raised his eyebrow, listening carefully now. That was some juicy gossip.

"No way, Ishida Yamato of the Teenage Wolves? She's dating a _rock star_? I thought she was with Taichi-senpai. They make a cute couple."

"Nah, they would but I heard that Ishida and Sora-senpai have been quite close recently.

"Aww shucks, never mind Sora-senpai then. There are so many other cute girls available."

Davis rolled his eyes at his teammate's antics and drank from his bottle. Young boys with hormones raging and their fantasies, he thought. What came next almost made him choke.

"Like Hikari-chan right? Good God, she is so cute. I wonder if she's already taken."

"Are you kidding me? Taichi-senpai would slaughter you for even thinking about dating his sister. You know how protective of her he is."

That's right, Davis thought. Hikari had once told him about the lengths Taichi had went to protect her in the Digital World. He wondered if his own true sibling, although his memory didn't reveal whoever he or she was, would have done the same for him.

"Besides, she's always hanging out with her group of girlfriends. Either that or she's always seen with some blond guy, her classmate I think."

"Not to mention how she kept looking at Daisuke just now."

Davis' ears pricked up at the mention of his name and felt himself shrink as the spotlight of the conversation shone on him. The boys that had been walking ahead all turned to face him, their eyes containing gleams of scepticism, pride, inquiry and envy.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

His teammate Ryuuga threw an arm around Davis. His arms were muscular and his hands were rough. Davis squirmed uncomfortably in his strong one arm hug. The goalkeeper asked, "Come on, Motomiya-san. You two seem close so why don't you tell us about her. Is she taken already?" Mura, Gen and Sai looked at him expectantly.

Davis thought about what he should tell them. As far as he knew, Hikari didn't have a boyfriend yet, or at least one that he knew of. So he just shrugged and said, "Who knows? I never asked."

Gen asked eagerly, "Do you think you could introduce her to us? We'd like to get to know her better. And by get to know her better, we mean— OW!" His brother had slapped him upside on his head. He glared at his twin as he rubbed his head.

"Don't mind Gen. We just really want to be closer friends with her, I don't think Taichi-senpai will mind," Mura said, ignoring the evil eye his brother was giving him.

"Well… It depends. Why don't you go introduce yourselves to her?"

"Are you kidding?" Sai exclaimed, "She's always surrounded by that group of girls, we can't even get close to her. That or she's with the blondie, what's his name again?"

"Takeru. Takaishi Takeru."

"Right. So she is always with Takeru. Almost everyone in the school think that they make a cute couple, seeing that they're always attached to the hip. Didn't you have this big indiscreet crush on her just not so long ago? It seems to me that something changed. Tell us, man. What progress have you made? What's your secret?"

Davis was getting really uncomfortable with the conversation right now. Shrugging Ryuuga's arm off him, he snapped, "There is no secret. She doesn't like me that way and we're just friends. Now can we please stop talking about my non-existent love life?"

His friends shared a look and they all raised their hands in defeat. "Calm down, man. We were just asking. No need to get so defensive." Then they proceeded to talk about typical adolescent stuff like games and girls, pointedly ignoring Davis.

Davis hung his head throughout the rest of the journey, his mind circling around the words of his friends. What had they meant by the way she looked at him? Did she look at him any other way than usual? He tried to picture her face and various ways she looked at him. Smiles, frowns, glares, laughs, but the strongest and most frequently recurring one was the warm expression that she had. The way she brushed her short hair to the side and beamed at him.

Davis thought she looked absolutely beautiful when she smiled. Yet he couldn't bring himself to believe that she held affections in that sense for him. Granted, they were close friends and he knew her for a very long time… at least he felt he did. Davis cursed his memories for being uncooperative. He wanted to remember, he wanted to know that he wasn't going crazy.

 _Ken must know something, but can I trust him?_

Only time would tell.

The cars glided smoothly past him, leaving a gust of wind in its trail. The air current swept over Davis, blowing through his hair. A cool feeling travelled up his torso as the soaked jersey flattened against his body.

His thoughts returned to Hikari and he pondered his own feelings towards her. He didn't deny that he had a crush but wasn't that in the past? As far as he knew, he didn't let it show. So how did those guys figure that out?

 _No, I was discreet. This Daisuke person wasn't. I have spent so much time as Motomiya Daisuke that I'm starting to lose my identity. Who am I?_

 _I am Davis. Davis… What's my surname? I can't forget that, think hard._

 _Think HARDER! I am Davis… Davis Ka…_

Davis' eyes widened and he stopped walking. He shut his eyes again and concentrated, focusing on the word. Nothing came to him and he groaned, continuing his trek. The boys were approaching the junction where they split ways.

 _Kami-sama (dear God), I hate myself. Wait, Kami?_

Davis ran the word over his tongue, repeating it several times and inserted his name in front.

 _Davis Ka…mi. Kami… Kamiya._

"That's it!" Davis shouted. His teammates stopped and gave him confused looks.

"What's it?" Gen and Mura chorused.

"Kamiya! That's the word I'd been looking for. Oh, I got to get home, see you guys tomorrow!" With that, Davis sprinted down the road towards his apartment, repeating the word in his head and chanting it, trying to etch it to his memory for fear that he might forget again. His teammates stood where they stopped, not understanding a single thing. Ryuuga commented, "Well, I swear that Motomiya gets weirder every passing day."

His friends nodded in agreement.

* * *

"I'm home!" Davis called as he entered his apartment.

"Oh, Daisuke? Welcome home. How was your day?" Mrs Motomiya responded. She was in the kitchen, wearing a blue apron as she cooked. The TV was on, showing an episode of her daily soaps. Davis took off his shoes and put them aside neatly with the rest of his family's. Removing his socks hurriedly he dropped them in the laundry basket and ran off, enjoying the coolness that wrapped his feet after a whole afternoon and evening of football.

"It was fine. I'm going to take a bath first," Davis said. He headed to his room immediately.

"You do that. Dinner's almost ready."

"Haaaaai." Then there was the sound of a door closing.

Davis opened his bag and Chibimon wriggled out of the small confinement. He leapt onto Davis bed and sat down heavily, breathing in the fresh air. The air in the room was stale but it was much better compared to the stagnant flow inside the bag. "I hate hiding in there. It's so cramped and I get squashed. Can't you let me ride on your head or something?"

His partner scoured the table for a notebook and grabbed a pen. "Sorry, Chibimon. I'd love to but you know you can't be seen," was his reply to the Digimon's complaint. He wrote the kanji for Kamiya on it and undressed until he was left standing in white boxers. Grabbing clothes and his towel from the rack and wrapping it around his waist, Davis ran off to take his shower.

Chibimon watch his partner go and lay down the bed, enjoying the vast space of the soft mattress. Remembering that there was another occupant in the room, he got up and called, "MetalKoromon, you can come out. There's no one else in the room." Seconds later, a grey creature peeped out of the darkness in the bookshelf and pounced out, bouncing on the backrest of Davis' chair and onto the desk with no effort at all.

"You're back, Chibimon! It has been so boring without you. I went through Daisuke's books several times and I can't make heads and tails of the letters on it. Why couldn't Daisuke let me go with you to 'school' or whatever the place you went?"

Chibimon hopped from the bed towards the desk, but he miscalculated the distance and had only one foot at the edge. Swinging his arms wildly, he managed to stabilise himself. Breathing a sigh of relief, he looked at MetalKoromon apologetically. "Sorry, MetalKoromon. You understand how it is, Daisuke bringing you back from the Digital World is a secret between the three of us. The others cannot know until Daisuke feels it is the best time. Even Jun doesn't know that you're here."

"Why is it such a big deal?"

Chibimon shook his head. "It is. The real world isn't as simple as the Digital World. Humans get scared when they see us. They think we are monsters."

MetalKoromon's tail swished from side to side, unsatisfied with the answer. "But we _are_ monsters. We're Digital Monsters, aren't we? Why is that a bad thing?

The little blue Digimon was getting a bit frustrated. He suddenly understood how Daisuke must have felt when he himself had been so inquisitive and not understanding of the human world. He wondered if his other Digimon friends gave their partners the same problem. "Daisuke told me that humans are always afraid of things that are different, things that are not what they call normal. If they see you can me, they'll get scared. During the time Daisuke goes to school and goes to class, we are stuck in the computer room, hiding from sight. You're lucky because you get the Daisuke's whole room to yourself with lots of space to hide."

Ears drooping, MetalKoromon's eyes dimmed and he said sadly, "But it gets so lonely when no one is here…" CHibimon felt a stab of pity for his metal friend and he drew closer to pat him on the head. "Don't worry," he consoled, "We'll talk to Daisuke about this later. Do you wanna play tag?"

"Okay. You're it!" And the two Digimon chased each other around the room, taking turns to be 'it'. Ten minutes later Davis opened the door to his room, fully dressed and drying his wet hair on a towel. He was greeted with a streak of blue aimed directly at his face. His feet still slightly wet, he lost his balance and fell hard on his backside. Chibimon's weight caused his head to hit the door to Jun's room, resounding in a loud thud. Images and memories flashed before Davis' eyes.

* * *

 _An image of eleven-year Tai tousling his hair, smiling warmly._

* * *

 _He was with ten year old Ken, chasing after a rolling soccer ball with all his might, running to keep up with the raven haired boy._

* * *

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Daisuke! Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" Chibimon's voice was distant and his head throbbed. Davis was seeing double.

* * *

 _The excited feeling of hiding in the bushes as a young in the park as a nine year old TK ran past, calling his name and saying that he can't hide from the self-proclaimed Hide and Seek master._

* * *

 _He was eleven with Kari, both of them sitting closely and comfortably on two-seated sofa, reading their own books but enjoying each other's presence._

* * *

Davis felt someone hoist him up and lead him to his bed. The memories were gushing into his brain, disjointed and jumbled up chronologically. Jun's voice came from behind him, saying with concern, "You okay, Daisuke?"

* * *

 _There was an image of a large facility. The Academia._

* * *

 _A final memory of Tai being sucked a TV and Davis shouting in fear, "Big brother! No! NO! TAI!"_

* * *

Davis awoke from his trance as if he had just been shocked by electricity, his breathing was fast and his face was as white as a ghost. He glanced around and realised he was in his room. Next to him with a hand on his shoulder was Tai, asking how he felt concernedly.

"Tai?" he asked uncertainly. Then the hallucination faded and he was left with a frowning Jun.

"Tai? Who's Tai? Are you seeing things? You hit your head on my door really hard. Are you feeling any stupider than you usually are?" she said with a mild teasing tone, but it couldn't fully mask how worried she actually was.

Chibimon hopped onto Davis' lap and buried his face in the boy's abdomen and cried, apologizing for hurting his partner. Davis stroked him and massaged the sore spot on his head, wincing as he touched the painful bruise. "Ouch, that's going to leave a mark. I might have lost some brain cells," he muttered. His eyes widened as he turned to Jun and said urgently, "I remember some things now! Tai's my brother, he looks like Taichi-senpai but he's not. I remember playing with TK and Ken and reading with Kari. There's some place called the-the-the… The Academia! Then Tai got sucked into the TV and—"

Jun cut his babbling off sternly. "Stop, stop. You're not making any sense. What are you trying to say?" Chibimon looked up with his adorable big eyes, wet from.

Davis paused and looked away to think about it. When he opened his mouth to talk, it was more to himself than Jun. "These memories don't tie in my current ones. Tai, erm, Taichi, uh whatever is not my brother and he is still here although he was sucked into the TV… TK, no, Takeru didn't know who I was that day and the names are different. I'm supposed to be a Kamiya, Davis Kamiya. I think…" he turned to face Jun completely and spoke in a serious tone, "I might be from another world."

Jun was silent before she burst into laughter, startling Davis. She cackled and slapped her thigh, causing Davis to scowl and ask, "What's so funny?" As her laughter died down, she wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes and still choking humorously, she said, "You're hilarious, little bro. I guess you hit your head harder than I thought. I think you lost a lot more than just brain cells. You, from another world?" she chortled, "I think the comic books you read are getting to you."

Irritated by his sister's inability to take him seriously, he snapped, "This isn't a joke, Jun. I am a Kamiya and I got mixed up as a Motomiya for some reason."

Snorting, Jun dismissed his angry exclamation and walked out of the room saying, "Yeah, and I am a sexy robot from the future sent back in time to bring about Judgement Day. I'll get you an ice pack, so thank me later. Or maybe you, _Davis Kamiya,_ have superpowers from _another world_ that allows you heal immediately, eh?" She shut the door and Davis could hear her laughter resonate through the hallway. Although muffled, it was obvious Jun was reassuring her mom that Davis was alright.

Chibimon tugged at Davis' shirt and the boy looked down. There were tear stains on his plain orange T-shirt. His partner had really bawled into his stomach. "Daisuke? Are you sure you're fine? I didn't hurt you too bad, did I? I'm so sorry," the little Digimon was about to break down again, so Davis hurriedly shushed him.

"I'm fine, Chibimon. Really, I'm okay. It's just a bruise, I'll get well soon. Just be careful next time, alright? And don't run around in my room," he said in a gentle tone. Chibimon nodded vigourousy, promising not to do so again. He then buried his face into Davis' chest, his body racked by hiccups. Davis had to smile at the love and worry his Digimon gave him, rubbing Chibimon on the back to soothe him.

MetalKoromon who had been pretending to be a computer mouse all the while activated himself again and apologized to Davis. "Sorry, Daisuke. We were just having some fun, after a long day of being trapped alone in here."

"Yeah, I understand. I can't blame you for wanting to enjoy yourself, but just be more careful."

The zigzag shaped antennae on the metalloid Digimon's head wiggled. "I couldn't help but overhear what you said just now. What did you mean by you being Davis Kamiya from another world?"

Davis glanced down at Chibimon whose hiccups had stopped and he was silent. The Digimon had fallen asleep, tired out by his crying. As gentle as handling a baby, Davis placed Chibimon at his spot on the bed, where there was a small pillow (given by Jun). Chibimon snuggled and curled into a fetal position.

Turning back to the desk, Davis picked up the purple tumbler and stared at the name on it. He clenched his jaw for a moment and opened his mouth to speak. He said, "I am not clear about it myself. My past, my memories, The Academia… One thing's for sure, Ichijouji knows who I am. He knows who I am, who I was, who _we_ were." His grip on the bottle tightened.

"And he is going to tell me."

* * *

 _A/N: I guess with all attention focused to this one, I will be able to update more frequently. Maybe once or twice a month. Anyways, thank you all for reviewing the previous chapter. I give my word that there will be more Digimon moments in the future. Here's my response to those whom I didn't pm:_

 _Syafiq Chibimon is plain adorable. His evolution line will forever be my favourite._

 _Ninjafang1331 thanks, piccolaamica thank you too. I haven't seen lily around though. How are you two?_

 _NatNicole yes, it's coming. I hope it's good!_

 _As for this chapter, I included a much needed scene with soccer-obsessed Taichi teaching his juniors because, the show didn't have that. Sora's appearance was pure inspiration and wasn't planned at first. Then of course, boys would be drooling all over Hikari, not just Daisuke._

 _I decided that it's almost time Davis stopped moping around because of his lost memories. Gave him a little memory boost, then in the following chapters he may yet begin to start anew. You'll see. Perhaps some of you may think that the sudden memory jolt was a bit rushed, but frankly I'm sick of Davis being angst-y. Seriously, get a grip dude. So now that he has something to bite, he should be nothing but more determined to get answers out of Ken. Over the next few chapters things will definitely get more interesting._

 _Also, how cute of him to deny his friend's accusations. It was a really fun part to write, puppy love and boys acting their age. Daisuke would definitely have friends outside of the chosen children and this was the perfect opportunity to flesh that out using Davis. After all, boys at that age are just plain horny._

 _Chibimon may be cute and playful, but he certainly is a dear. Just like back when he was outraged that Davis put himself in danger, he had a breakdown when he thought he hurt Davis badly. There's that other possible iteration of him where he just continues to play without a care in a world but I prefer this._

 _That's all, thanks for reading. If you liked it, leave me a review. We're 5 reviews away from breaking that 100_ _th_ _mark so let's go!_

 _Next on LFAW: Ken takes the bus, finally, and regains his memory completely. Also, there's the long awaited soccer match between our two otherworldly travelers. See y'all next time!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

There were a few reasons why Ken usually hated taking the bus. One, they were normally crowded and the passengers squeezed against each other so tightly, there was little breathing room. Two, having so many travellers cramped up together in the vehicle meant there was little ventilation. Thirdly, it was because of a traumatic experience he had the misfortune to endure one day that left him mentally scarred. He had sworn off that form of public transport unless he wanted to get bodily squashed against sweaty passengers AND have someone break wind into his face.

Of course, that was some time ago, when they were back where he… Anyway, he was adamant not to take the bus and opted for his parents to drive him.

Today however, was an exception. Tamachi Primary School had booked a school bus solely for its players. There was ample space and even with the reserve players, there were available seats. Of course, Ken had opted for the spot in front whereas the rest of the team scatter across the midsection and the rear seats. Most of them paired up, but Ken sat solo. That didn't stop his team members from trying to make conversation, at least those who sat nearby. However, most of them were trying to get some sort of advice about learning. Be it soccer, schoolwork, music, judo and whatnot, most of the dialogue consisted of questions about how to improve themselves or how it felt to be the best at something. After a while it got exhausting to make a conscious effort in answering the meaningless questions and he asked for some alone time. They happily agreed and started talking among themselves cheerfully.

Ken breathed a sigh of relief and rested his head on the window glass, observing the scenery flashing past his eyes. The seats were comfortable and clean for a change, and the air conditioners were functioning perfectly. If the buses were all like this then he wouldn't have a problem. Perhaps he should give it another try. After all, this world's buses may yet be better. He took out his novel from his bag and started reading from where he had left off.

He heard a loud yawn over the constant chattering that came from behind and his eyes flickered towards the person whose offensive noise had permeated his ears. Sitting alone in the row of seats directly opposite Ken's was Alex Ray, with his usual bored expression. A handsome blond transfer student from Europe, Alex was known for his quick ability to learn any skill and be good at it. At such, he had gotten himself the nickname 'Super Al' or 'Genius Al' and had been the topic of gossip for some time. However, the polite smile and mild manner was ditched when he found that there wasn't a challenge to anything he was introduced to at school, replaced by a dignified arrogance that radiated from him. He challenged everybody to everything and beat them. Girls admired him from afar whereas boys bristled whenever his name came up, calling him 'Weird Al' because of his attitude.

Of course, there was one person he had yet to surpass, which was Ichijouji Ken himself. Wherever he went, he was overshadowed by the young prodigy. Alex was a skilful and adept person, but he was no genius. Whatever Ken did, he was a step behind. That day after the exam results were put up, Ken had stood at the back of the crowd, his keen eyes spotting his name in first place, followed by Alex's. The blond boy had made a 'tch' sound and glared at Ken before walking off. Ken had watched him go with an emotionless stare. The two boys didn't have the best relationship either, but being on the same soccer team had forced them to work together, begrudgingly.

"So boring, we're going to completely blow those Odaiba fishes out of the water. Why did we even bother with this practise match anyway?" he said, not so loud as to attract the attention of the talking teachers in charge but enough for Ken to take notice.

"Never underestimate your opponents, Ray. You haven't even fought them yet," Ken scolded, not taking his eyes off his book.

A snort. "No need to. I heard they didn't even make it to the semi-finals last year. Besides, with you on the team, they don't even stand a chance. Isn't that right, oh great The Rocket Ichijouji?" The reply dripped with sarcasm, its tone mocking. Ken merely glared silently at him. You shouldn't underestimate Davis, he thought, he may not be the best but he could still sometimes keep up with me and his brother. Satisfied that he would not be getting a reply from Ichijouji, Alex's mouth curled into a cruel grin for a second. He folded his hands and placed them behind his head.

"I have always wondered, Ichijouji, how you managed to be the top at everything. You're not just a genius academically, you have a good physique and you excel at physical activities too. You aren't exactly a jack of all trades, best at none sort of person either."

It was Ken's turn to smirk. He answered coolly, "Everything has its secret techniques for mastering. A genius understands them faster than most people. Given I have great kinaesthetic awareness, was there any doubt that I could learn simple things like soccer and judo quickly? All it took was some studying."

"Is that so… Well, I won't be second best forever, Ichijouji. I don't believe anyone at all can be the best at everything, except me. I will prove that I can be a better player than you, sooner or later," Then he put on headphones and blasted rock music into his ears, his head bobbing to the beat.

Ken could only shake his head in disgust and regret. Alex's chaotic attitude was a pain. He could be charming enough to get what he wanted, but he could treat those who in his opinion didn't deserve his respect like dirt. Most people only saw the solitary, cool kid with skills but in Ken's case he had witnessed the vicious, competitive side to him.

"I don't like this guy, he gets on my nerves." Suddenly Nauticus was sitting next to Ken, arms folded and legs crossed. The robotic sounds that had layered his voice last time were thankfully absent and his voice was a melodious deep one, clear and concise pronunciation despite the smooth black mask that covered his face. Gone was the black armour, in its place was an Armani suit and a striped indigo tie. His purple and red eyes glowered at Alex. Ken took in the wardrobe change with a raised eyebrow, impressed by his choice of adornments.

"Do you always just appear in other people's heads like this?"

A chuckle came from behind the mask. "Not always, but I am bonded to you in a very special way, we share a connection like no other. Besides, it's just plain fun to mess with you. What could I do with that guy? Pop into his mind and threaten him? 'If you don't stop acting like a little brat I will rip your head off your shoulders, mwahahaha.' Nah, too corny."

"He's just a kid, he will learn humility in time."

Nauticus snorted. "Trust me, he will. The hard way. I have seen people like him before, they're all the same. Having certain abilities that give them the edge over others and becoming cocky, then taking the hard fall when they realise they're not all infallible after all. In fact, I knew a person like him once, but that's a story for another time. I must point out the humour and irony in you saying that kids would grow up, as if you're not one."

Giving a shrug, Ken replied, "Geniuses mature faster than others. Our mental capacity far exceeds the rest of the population. It just takes us less time to obtain and retain information or reach a certain point of maturity."

Nauticus rubbed the chin of his mask. "Not quite, actually. It depends on the upbringing and the surrounding environment too. For instance, if you were brought up in a family that only worships achievement and neglects emotional growth, I highly doubt you'd be talking like this. I knew a child prodigy who grew up with genius brother. They loved each other as did their parents, who supported them in doing whatever they wanted. His parents never ever took glory and pushed him and his brother to be famous, instead they let them grow up healthily, teaching them humility and respect for those who couldn't catch up to their level. They grew up together and became successful people, helping to change the world in their own unique ways.

"On the other hand, I know another young boy whose parents were so engrossed in basking in the fame of his brother's success that they neglected him, until he jealously wished that his brother would leave the family. Surely enough, the brother died and the family was torn apart. But did the parents realise their mistake? No, they continued to take credit for the little brother's talent whose abilities showed in absence of the older sibling. In the end, the young boy became egotistical, uncaring and developed a superiority complex towards others. Shows how important parents are in shaping the future of their children, and in a sense, the future of the world."

The stories told by Nauticus had triggered something, striking a chord in Ken's head. He remembered blowing bubbles with Osamu, Osamu teaching him how to do his homework, the horrible accident and the funeral, him carrying Osamu's picture as he walked on mournfully. He shut his eyes and let the images and feelings flow in his head. The existing ones insisted that Ken was there to witness his brother's death. The new memories fought for dominance, constantly resisting and showing him evidence that Osamu was alive. He saw an older Osamu meeting Motomiya Daisuke.

" _Davis, this is my brother Sam. Sam, this is my friend that I have telling you about."_

" _Hello, Sam. My name is Davis Kamiya."_

" _Nice to meet you, Davis. Ken has told me a lot about you."_

Ken's eyes shot open. "Davis?"

Nauticus turned towards him and blinked. "Sorry, what?"

The teachers burst out laughing at their jokes and the players at the back sang merrily. Ken lowered his voice and said, "I remember his real name now. His name is Davis Kamiya, not Daisuke Motomiya. And my brother is alive, but his name is… Sam? This doesn't make any sense. How is Sam completely identical to Osamu?"

Nauticus gave Ken a baleful look. Ken felt like the dichromic eyes were staring into his soul, judging him and deciding the sentence. He struggled to keep his eyes locked with the man's. "I could show you everything. You will regain everything you have forgotten. Is that what you want?" the masked man asked quietly in a tone that wasn't decipherable.

Ken hesistated, then he nodded slowly. "Yes, what's there to lose?"

Nauticus let out a low chuckle. "There will be hell to pay later." he said and placed his index finger on Ken's forehead. Ken thought he saw a strange glint shine through Nauticus' eyes but it was quickly overwritten by the floodgates that opened, unleashing a torrent of unlocked true memories into Ken's head, so much that the fake implanted memories got washed away, leaving traces and blurred images.

* * *

" _Check mate. You lose, Davis!" The brown haired boy groaned. Sam smiled and clapped._

* * *

" _Hey Davis, check this out!" Ken kicked the ball at the precise angle he calculated, causing it to bounce off the pillar and into the basket at the other side. Davis have him an incredulous look mixed with awe and disbelief._

* * *

 _He, Davis and Sam were laughing hysterically at the science puns in the movie._

* * *

" _No, we listen to Project DMM and that's final." Davis held out a CD with the words 'Project DMM's The Essential Collection' printed on the cover. He was around eight years old and wearing blue pyjamas._

" _Nope, we're going to listen to Beethoven," Ken insisted, raising his own 9_ _Symphonies disc._

" _But the last time you came for a sleepover we listened to that, it's not fair," Davis protested._

" _Last time was Mozart, this time we go with Beethoven. We'll play Project DMM after that, okay?"_

" _No, you always say that. This time we're going with mine first."_

" _Nuh uh, Beethoven."_

" _Project DMM."_

" _Nope."_

" _Yeah."_

" _No."_

" _Yes."_

" _NO!"_

" _YES!"_

 _The door to Davis' room opened and Mr Kamiya peeked inside with an annoyed expression. "Boys," he scolded, "keep it down will you? It is night time already and you'll disturb the neighbours."_

" _But dad, Ken insists that we listen to Beethoven! It's so boooooring," Davis protested a pout._

 _Mr Kamiya chuckled and said, "It's not every day that Ken comes over for a sleepover. Be nice to your guests, will you Davis? Ken just wants to share his favourite type of music, so why not try and enjoy it? Then next time when you go over to Ken's place you can show him why you like your type of music. Now, be good and don't sleep too late. Goodnight." He closed the door and left the two boys alone in the room again._

 _Davis folded his arms stubbornly and glared at Ken. Finally he relented and said, "Alright, we'll listen to Beethoven but only this once."_

 _The young prodigy laughed softly at his triumph. "Good choice, Kamiya. Trust me, you'll like it."_

* * *

 _Ken older incarnation faced him. "You have a mission, will you accept it?"_

* * *

 _He was in Ken's room. Not his own, but that of the other world's Ichijouji that he and his older counterpart had just arrived to. Ichijouji lay face down on the floor, unconscious from the memory wipe._

 _Ken from the future held up the Modifier and said, "Good luck, I'm counting on you." A flash burst from the device and everything went black._

* * *

Ken gasped for breath, face as white as sheets. He pressed his back against the side of the bus, digesting what he had just seen. All of his lost memories had returned. "Wow, I once beat Davis in a sausage eating contest," was the first thing that came out of his mouth, his eye twitching.

Nauticus snorted. "Good for you. That guy must have been a weak eater."

Ken's composure returned and he noted, "What was it about hell to pay just now?"

Nauticus grinned wickedly behind his mask. "Oh did I mention that out loud? Hehe, for your information, your memories were under lockdown was so that this timeline would move linearly to what Davis and your older counterpart had planned. They saw how the future would be if you and Davis did what your counterparts in this world would have done. That was why your memories were replaced and you were swapped in.

Truthfully, the exchange actually didn't affect you, it was Davis who was the key card. But of course, Ken of the future saw fit to replace the cruel Kaiser with a more compassionate one… That's how you fit in, to reduce the suffering of the Digimon and _you, oh gallant one_ agreed to it. Unfortunately, the plan backfired when you began regaining your memories. Now that you know everything, I'd bet a fortune that you wouldn't conscious hurt others like the original Kaiser would. You probably won't even make the choices you should have and would have made if you stayed ignorant.

Ken stared at him in horror. "You don't mean…"

"Yep, exactly. In short, congratulations, you may have yet just ruined the future of this world!" Nauticus completed cheerfully, maniacally grinning behind his mask. In a blink of an eye, he was gone and at the same moment the teachers called, "Alright boys, we're here!"

* * *

The Sunday morning was sunny, but it wasn't scorching. The sun shone its warm rays through the thin wispy clouds that floated by, carried by the gentle push of the breeze. The clear waters of the river nearby sparkled as the wave ripples on the surface. Birds soared freely in the sky, chirping as they flew past above the heads of a red shirt team of elementary students, warming up on the grassy field below.

The football field of Odaiba Elementary was located directly opposite the school. There was a sports ground within the compounds too but the grass field lay across the street. It was preferable compared to the hard concrete inside, for the soft grass and soil cushioned a fall, reducing bruises and injuries to minor scrapes. The Odaiba team had arrived early for some last minute practise and they were pumped up, anticipating their opponent's arrival with adrenaline pumping through their veins. Neither of them would admit that, but the thought of facing Ichijouji Ken on the opposing team scared them just as much as it excited them. Davis however, felt differently than his teammates. The trepidation of losing to Ken had evaporated and he only cared about having a private discussion with the Kaiser's alter ego.

"Remember, boys. This is just a practise match. You don't have to get too competitive with Tamachi. I want you all to learn from them and give them a run for their money. Got that clear?" Coach Tagado announced to the team. He got a collected response of "Yes, Coach!" from them.

There were quite a few spectators at the stands. Some of the players had their friends and family members come and see them play. Ryuuga's older brother was there to give support, so were Sai's younger sisters. Gen and Mura's older sister was a high school model and a heartthrob for the boys but she couldn't make it that day. Then there was an Ichijouji fangirl mob who eagerly awaited the arrival of their idol, swooning and discussing how cool and smart the boy was. They sat on the row above that of the Chosen Children, which consisted of Takeru, Hikari, Iori, Miyako and Taichi.

"Those fangirls are so annoying. All they do is scream Ken-kun's name and act childishly. Can't they sit quietly and properly greet Ken-kun when he arrives? They're making a lot of noise and they don't even know what they're talking about," Miyako grumbled, holding Poromon on her lap.

Iori blinked at her and asked, "Aren't you a fangirl of Ichijouji-san as well?"

Miyako huffed and retorted in a dignified voice, "I am not like them. I know clearly what shade of purple his eyes are and my goodness, how silky and soft his hair is. Oh I can guess what type of conditioner he uses… So soft, I want to touch it and caress it so badly… Then there's his lean physique, oh my…" her tone shifted into something more girly and she smiled dreamily into space, all while tugging Poromon's wings unconsciously in opposite directions. Iori didn't know what to think. He just hoped Poromon would be fine.

"Neh, Iori… Why hasn't Daisuke started playing yet dagyaa? We've been waiting for a while already gyaa?" Upamon was beginning to get restless.

"Hush, Upamon. You're not supposed to talk. We all agreed that you'd be allowed to come if you act as stuffed toys," he reminded, "Daisuke-san isn't playing yet because his opponent has arrived yet. It's like Kendo, you can't play with just one side."

Upamon looked at the group of players. "But there are so many of them. Why can't Daisuke just pick one to become his opponent and start dagyaa?" That question caused the two spectators in front of Iori to turn back and look at Iori questioningly. The boy apologized, "Sorry, my friend isn't that clear with football," and they turned back towards the field. Iori frowned at his partner.

"I told you not to speak out in public, Upamon. You're going to get us into trouble," he reprimanded softly. He then explained, "All those people down there are Daisuke-san's teammates. They work together to score shots into that goal," he pointed at a post, "while protecting their own from their opponents," he pointed to the other one. "One team wears shirts of the same colour to differentiate themselves from the opposing team. Do you understand now?" he finished. Upamon's mouth turned into a big round circle and he nodded. "Good, now stay quiet and wait."

Davis had left Chibimon in the care of Hikari. The blue Digimon sat on the girl's lap and watched his partner jog on the spot. It was his first time seeing people play soccer, given how Davis had always left him at home or left him with the others when he went for practise. From what Davis had explained, it was two groups of ten chasing after a ball and another one at each of the cage like things to protect the ball from entering. The game hadn't started yet and like Upamon, Chibimon was getting fidgety at the non-activity. He then noticed the absence of two friends. "Where are Patamon and Tailmon? I don't see them anywhere."

Takeru smiled at him. "Don't worry, they're off somewhere to get a better view. If I'm not mistaken, they're one of those trees, that one right… there." He pointed at one of the trees that stood between the field and river.

* * *

"Hey Tailmon, I think Takeru is pointing at our tree."

Tailmon paused her grooming and padded over the edge of the branch she was on. Patamon had somehow managed to balance his chubby little body on the network of thin twigs above her. Not that it mattered, because he could always flap his wings and maintain altitude should the wooden extensions collapse. She and Patamon peeked out of the leaves. Sure enough, the blond boy from across the field had indeed raised an arm and his index finger was aimed directly at them. He waved and the two Digimon stuck their heads back in, sharing a look.

"Wow, he really does know where we are. I don't believe it at all," she exclaimed, astonished.

Patamon grinned widely. "What did I say, Takeru is a psychic. He always knows where I am and where we've been. Now you owe me that apple lollipop like we bet on."

* * *

"Yep, there they are." Takeru said, satisfied. He waved as two small faces, one orange and the other white, appeared among the leaves and vanished just as quickly.

"How did you know they were there?" Hikari asked, surprised that her friend had managed to pinpoint the location of their partners so quickly. Takeru shrugged.

"I'm just really observant. Patamon likes to wriggle a lot and I happened to spot the leaves shifting at that moment."

Hikari giggled. There was a cacophony of girly squeals as a bus rolled up to the stands. Miyako turned her head to find the fangirl mob scrambling to get up. They stood by the side eagerly as the bus pulled to a halt. The doors opened and the players filed out of the transport. The girls waited eagerly for Ken to step out.

"I can see him! He's there!" Someone shouted. Sure enough, the boy genius stepped out the bus and was greeted by a screaming mob of female fans, all eager to obtain his autograph or shake hands with him. He was overwhelmed and didn't really know how to respond except to smile and promise to attend to them later. The teachers followed behind and warded the crowd back, clearing a path for the players to reach the field.

"Oh my God, I finally get to see him in person," Miyako drawled, squeezing Poromon so tightly between her palms that he looked like he was going to suffocate. His eyes bulged and were bloodshot from the pressure. "I think I'm going to faint…"

Iori looked at the girl unsurely. "Erm Miyako, Poromon looks like HE is going to faint." He pointed at the pink ball of feathers who looked positively purple. Miyako realised what she was doing to her partner subconsciously and loosened her grip.

"Oh my God, Poromon! I'm so sorry, I didn't realise," she apologized. Poromon took deep breaths and flapped his wings lightly to let her know that he was alright now.

Ken and his team walked down to their station, radiating an air of confidence. The Odaiba Elementary players watched them with trepidation, all hype and spirit dampened as they witnessed the arrival of their much stronger foes. They were facing the jaws of a tiger and they knew it, with Ken being the metaphorical razor sharp fangs that were about to shred them apart.

Ryuuga commented, "That's him, the star player of Tamachi Boys F.C., Ichijouji Ken. He's really here." Sai bit his lip in anticipation.

"Daisuke, come over here for a second," Taichi called from the stands. He had gotten up and was standing on the stairway next to Takeru. Davis saw Ken eyeing the Chosen Children from his place but the young genius looked away when he realising Davis was watching him. Ken warmed up, not giving them any more attention.

Davis jogged over to Taichi. The older boy put his hands in his pockets and said in a serious tone, "I know you're going up against the champs and facing Ichijouji is no easy task, but I want you give it all you've got. It's like Coach said, forget winning or losing, and take them head on. Hopefully you remember some of the tricks I taught you. Got that?"

Takeru smiled and raised his fist. "Daisuke-kun, give them your best shot. Show the champs that Odaiba Primary School is not to be messed with!"

Hikari nodded proudly as well. "That's right, do your best!" Chibimon didn't speak up but he winked at his partner to let him know that he supported him.

Iori gave his own wishes as well, "Good luck, Daisuke-kun. You'll do fine."

Miyako however was caught up in her daydreaming about Ken. "Oh, Ken-kun… look at that body shape of his… Oh…" she swooned before she realised she was being watched by everyone. "What? Good luck, Daisuke-kun. Do your best, blah blah blah, now can you please move out of the way? You're blocking my perfect view of Ken-kun." Everybody sweat-dropped and Iori scooted as far away from her as possible, leaning against Hikari. Davis rolled his eyes.

Taichi laughed softly. "Well, the field is yours, Daisuke. Make us proud."

Davis nodded. "Yes… brother." He turned and walked down towards his team.

The brown haired senior blinked and the words registers in his brain. He looked at Takeru and Hikari blankly and asked, "Did Daisuke just call me 'brother'?"

Hikari smiled and said, "It's no wonder. Daisuke-kun does look up to you very much, I bet he imagines you're his brother." Takeru agreed to that as well.

Taichi gazed at the field as the players took their positions. While it came as a surprise, he couldn't help but swell with pride as he watched his successor get ready to play.

Having another younger one to look after isn't bad, he thought.

 _Good luck, Daisuke!_

* * *

Davis stood in front of Ken, both at left Midfielder positions. Brown eyes met purple, both boys staring each other down like wolves waiting to lash out. Davis was an inch or two shorter than Ken. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to shake off the anxiety whereas Ken's face was an emotionless mask. The referee placed the ball in the centre of the field. To Davis' surprise, Taichi had been wrong and Tamachi wasn't going with 2-5-3, instead choosing to mirror Odaiba's 4-3-3. The new formation made Odaiba panic slightly because they hadn't expected it. There was a golden haired boy on the right, shifting restlessly on his spot and growling menacingly. He looked like a caged animal, which scared Odaiba Elementary School's other Midfielder, Nima.

"We're going to have a talk after this is over. You're going to give me some answers," Davis said bluntly.

Ken curled his lips into a small smile. He looked a paler than his magazine pictures did. "You should concentrate on the match first, Motomiya. That should be your priority now." The referee blew the whistle and the match began. Tamachi's Centre Midfielder took the ball and Ken drifted past Davis at an alarming speed. The centre playmaker called Ken's name and passed it to the midfielder.

The brunet hurried after Ken, desperately trying to catch up. Ichijouji wove through Odaiba's defences without much difficulty. When he was in penalty zone, he made a curved pass to the centre forward Striker. It was a move the opposing elementary school players had not expected, for they were so prepared to defend against Ichijouji they hadn't paid much attention to the other striker who shot and scored a goal. The score was now 1-0 in favour of Tamachi.

That guy is fast, Davis thought. Shaking his head to relieve himself of the shock, he resumed his position at the left wing. The match began again and this time Odaiba managed to get the ball first. Grinning, Davis rushed forward to accept the pass and he dribbled it towards the goal. A wingback came at him, attempting to steal the ball. Using his body language to feint left, the defender took the bait and he lunged to the right, passing the defender.

He celebrated his success at performing the move internally and pushed forward. Taichi would be proud, he thought in triumph. Then he didn't noticed another defender coming at him. He hurriedly tried to pass it to a nearby teammate but Ken suddenly sped through between them and snagged the ball, doubling back towards Odaiba's goal. It was so abrupt that nobody had time to react.

Davis cursed and ran after Ken. He tried to close the distance between them but it was too late. The ball sailed into the net, giving Tamachi another goal. Breathing heavily, he wiped the sweat on his brow.

This was going to be a very one sided game.

* * *

Taichi bit his thumb, shaking his head worriedly. "This isn't going well for Daisuke. Four nil, and Odaiba is nowhere near tying the scores. That level Tamachi is playing at… they're not elementary school level. Ichijouji has the moves of a youth league all-star."

"You're right… his moves are different from our team's," Hikari said softly.

"Our players are trying everything that I taught… It's not going to be enough. Even I can't play as well as Ichijouji yet," Taichi groused.

Miyako cooed and cuddled Poromon roughly. "Nice play, Ken-kun! Go for it!"

Iori looked at her exasperatedly. "Miyako-san, we're supposed to be rooting for Daisuke-kun," he said.

"But Daisuke-kun is nowhere as cool as Ken-kun is. Look at him go, and he scores! Another point scored by Ichijouji Ken-kun!"

Takeru had a serious look on his face. He folded on arm across his chest and rested his other elbow on it, rubbing his chin in thought. "He sees the whole field of play. He knows where his opponents are and how to get past them. His team is also trained to support him and that other blond kid, who managed to score one out of the five goals so far."

Hikari looked at her friend in surprise. "Do you know soccer, Takeru?" The Chosen Child of Hope shook his head in response.

"No, but it's similar to basketball. Ichijouji can predict where his opponents will be and he knows what the best technique would be," he commented as the game started again. Moments later, Ken did a helicopter move on Gen, stepped over and pushed to the right when he came up against a defender and made a high pass to the centre forward, who head-butted the ball towards the goal. Ryuuga lunged to the side and blocked it, sending the ball out of the field.

"Ken-kun is the coolest, no one can top that!"

"Miyako-san…"

* * *

Davis bent over with his hands on his knees. It was the last 5 minutes of the second half and his team was losing at nil nine. The boy was out of breath and the game was about to start again. Ken stood opposite him, also breathing heavily but not as short-winded as Davis was.

"What's the matter, Motomiya? Feeling a little tired?" the raven haired male taunted. Davis merely glare at him and took deep breaths.

Ken laughed and resumed his goading, "For the record, you were never able to beat me before. What makes you think this time will be different? You're not going to stop me from scoring a final point in this match."

Davis gritted his teeth. We'll see about that, he thought.

The whistle blew and the final five minutes started their countdown. Ken went for the ball but was blocked by Davis. He feinted right but Davis didn't fall for it. Every step he made was cut off by his mahogany haired opponent. The ball came sailing towards Ken but Davis knocked it away. Several attempts to get the ball to Ichijouji were dispatched by the shorter boy. The Odaiba Elementary players seemed to catch on to what Davis was doing for they focused on diverting the ball elsewhere, anywhere but near Ichijouji.

He's blocking me, Ken realised. _Davis is trying his best to stop me from scoring again_. But he had one more ace card up his sleeve…

"I know what you're trying to do, Motomiya. Trust me, you won't succeed," Ken snarled as he finally managed to throw Davis off. He ran towards the ball with Davis close on his tail. Yamaguchi, the right wingback spotted an opportunity to sneak the ball between the legs of his Odaiba opponent and Ken finally got possession of the ball. He cross stepped over the ball and hooked it overhead to dodge Davis' sweep. The genius ran ahead, Davis struggling to keep up.

All I need is a final chance, Davis told himself. His stamina was fading rapidly and if he didn't end it soon, Ken would score again. "Sai, Mura, Nima! Slow him down!" His teammates responded by assuming the defensive formation Sora had suggested. Sure enough, Ken stopped in his tracks and had to search for an opening. There were twenty seconds left and the player who was close enough to score was…

"Alex, take the win!" Ken hollered and curved the pass to his teammate. The blond boy grinned and charged towards victory. However, a leg shot out of nowhere and knocked the ball outside. The shoes caught Alex's shin and left a scrape, causing the player to tumble forth into the grass. The whistle blew again, signalling the end of the match. The time was 11.25 am and Tamachi had won by 9-0.

Alex sat up and rubbed his shin, wincing in pain. It was red and raw, but luckily it was nothing more than a flesh wound. He looked at the cause of his misfortune and found Davis lying on the grass as well. The boy had found a burst of speed and made a last ditch attempt to save the game. The sliding tackle wasn't a foul, but Alex's mood sure was. He limped over to Davis and grabbed his collar. Both teams were startled by the action and started towards them.

"You…" Alex spat, furious that his glory had been taken from him. Davis looked fearfully at the boy with golden hair. "You ruined my victory," he growled at the fallen boy. A hand clamped roughly over his shoulder and Alex looked back to see Ken with a dark look on his face.

"Alex…" the raven haired genius warned. Alex Ray took the cue and released his grip on Davis' red jersey. He jerked away Ken's grip, glaring murderously at Davis before storming off towards the place where his team gathered. Ken shook his head in disgust and offered Davis a hand. The boy blinked and accepted it, allowing Ken to pull him to his feet.

"That was a really great save. The sliding tackle was flawless," Ken complimented, this time with a genuine smile on his face. "I couldn't score a tenth though, but it's alright. You really have improved since we last played."

Davis raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I suppose," he replied, "When was it that we last played soccer together?"

Ken looked confused, then realisation hit him. "Oh, right. I guess I'm a little ahead of myself."

Yamaguchi called, "Hey, Ichijouji-kun! Coach says it's about time we prepared to head home."

"Tell Coach I'm not going back by bus with you all. My parents will come and pick me up," Ken responded. Yamaguchi seemed a bit disappointed by that so Ken elaborated. "I know you all want to celebrate our little victory, but it seems that I," he glanced at Davis, "have some catching up to do with an old friend. How about gathering at the Tamachi's park later this evening, after some rest? Inform the others to each bring some food and drinks." Yamaguchi lit up at the suggestion and agreed enthusiastically.

"That'll do. Thanks, Ichijouji-kun! I'll see you later!" He rushed back to tell the group excitedly.

Ken smiled and addressed Davis. He patted the shorter boy on the shoulder and said, "Shall we?"

* * *

 _A/N: A very fast paced chapter indeed. I hope I did the soccer match enough justice. I initially planned for more details and soccer formations, both teams trying various tactics and such but this chapter had already broken the 6k word count so I decided to shorten it. Besides, my knowledge of the beautiful game is not enough to fully produce an in-detail depiction of the match._

 _Alex Ray is based off that typical arrogant rival from anime, who doesn't really respect the protagonist._

 _Nauticus… Oh my God this character is chaos. He's a wild card. He appeared to want to help before but now he just did something that might cause serious repercussions. Just who is this guy?_

 _Now that Ken has his full memories back, things will definitely get interesting. I hinted before that he remembers some things, but not all. Question for you readers. Do you think Ken should reveal his identity around the same time as the series did? The episode this chapter was based on was split into four-five parts to give way to additional scenes, so I estimate the part where Ken revealed his identity in the Digital World comes around 2-3 chapters later. If he DOES reveal his identity, this story will go in one direction and if he DOESN'T, it'll go another way. Both paths are fine, but what do YOU READERS prefer?_

 _Leave me a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed._


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Mild language in this chapter_

* * *

Chapter 12

Some things just never seem to go as planned, like how just another average day turned into a daring escape from rabid fangirls. It all started when Davis and Ken headed over to Odaiba Elementary to use the shower rooms, accompanied by Taichi and the others, excluding Patamon and Tailmon (who had run off to wherever and would return to their partners in the evening). Miyako walked at the back of the group, constantly staring at Ken with dreamy eyes and admiring the magazine her idol had signed.

"You were an amazing player, Ichijouji. Those moves were sweet, I should really try them out sometime. Congratulations by the way," Taichi commended Ken for his overwhelming victory.

"Yeah, that was a really good game. Is soccer the only thing you play though? If it were possible, I'd like to have a basketball match with you someday," Takeru asked eagerly.

Ken smiled and shook his head. He answered, "I mostly specialise in soccer. I haven't picked up many other sports. I'm badminton, ping pong and swimming, but I have not tried basketball yet." Takeru raised his shoulders disappointedly. It was Iori's turn to ask a question.

"Ichijouji-san, do you know any other martial arts? I know you're active at Judo."

"Ah, that I am. I do know some Kendo, but I'm not too good at it yet. Never actually studied the techniques in detail." Iori perked up at the response, feeling excitement bubble in his stomach after hearing that Ken knew something of his own forte.

"Kendo? I learn kendo too. My grandfather owns a dojo. Maybe you'd want to stop by someday? It'd be an honour to practise the art with you, Ichijouji-san," he asked eagerly. It was a perfect chance to promote his sensei's dojo, and it would be even greater to be able to learn together with a person like Ken.

Ken smiled and replied, "I'm sure too, Hida-san."

Giggling came from behind the group. Miyako gave Ken a lovey-dovey expression. "Ken-kun, you really are _the best,_ " she drawled. Ken forced a polite grin and quickly turned his attention towards Davis.

"So how are you holding up? It's been a while since we last met," he mentioned casually.

"No way, you have met Daisuke-kun before?" Takeru exclaimed in disbelief. Hikari shared his sentiments.

"Yeah, Daisuke-kun didn't tell us about this," she said, looking at Davis with a half-disappointed and half-surprised expression. Davis scratched his head and apologized, "It slipped my mind. We met a long time ago and I didn't really think it'd be the same person. Sorry I didn't tell you guys." He glared pointedly at Ken.

 _Way to set me up, douchebag,_ Davis fumed. Ken's smirk said it all.

Miyako butted in after the only important information registered in her mind. "WHAT? Daisuke-kun knew Ken-kun and didn't tell us? That's so selfish of you! You probably wanted Ken-kun all to yourself so that you can make your yaoi fantasies come true! This is unjust!" she yelled, squeezing Poromon and the magazine in her chest tightly. She then realised that everybody was staring at her. Taichi, Takeru and Hikari were in shock. Iori blinked, not knowing what yaoi was. A vein bulged on Davis' forehead and Ken looked rather disturbed by the idea.

"I… just said that out loud, didn't I?" Miyako whimpered, her face as red as a tomato. She had blurted out something embarrassing about her idol _in front of her idol._ She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.

Taichi decided to spare the girl further humiliation and changed the topic. However, the Digimon chose the worst possible timing to make it worse. He was about to open his mouth when a raspy voice came from the beige 'toy' Iori held.

"Iori, what is yaoi dagyaa?"

Taichi blanched. Takeru's jaw dropped. Hikari held her hands over her mouth in horror. Miyako wasn't really paying attention but the mention of yaoi made her curl into a ball on the ground and her face turned into a deep shade of maroon. Ken stopped and turned around, asking, "Did that thing just talk?"

Iori panicked and hid Upamon behind his back, hastily pulling a smile to cover his shock. "N-no, I think you misheard someone else say it. It certainly didn't talk. Not at all!" he stammered, trying to cover up for his partner's blunder.

Ken frowned. "I'm pretty sure that voice belonged to not one of us."

Takeru raised a hand and said, "Sorry that was me. I spoke slightly differently." He cleared his throat and did an impression of Upamon. "Ahem, what is yaoi? Iori, what is that?" after a brief pause he added, "dagyaa?" It was a close impression and he hoped that Ichijouji would buy it.

To Takeru's chagrin, the boy in question shook his head. "Nice try but no. May I take a look at the thing you're holding?" Ken held out his hand. Iori gripped his Digimon tightly, a silent gesture for Upamon to remain still and silent, then he handed the creature stiffly over to Ken.

Ken inspected the Digimon from all angles. The Chosen Children held their breaths as he looked Upamon over. He stared Upamon in the eyes, tempting him to blink but thankfully the Digimon didn't budge. Quick as lightning, Ken snapped his finger in front of Upamon's face. He didn't manage to elicit a response at all. "Hmm," was all he said before handing it back to Iori. He seemed rather dissatisfied, but he didn't question it further.

The group had entered the main entrance and was walking towards the shower rooms. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Ken had dropped the subject… Until he turned his attention towards Chibimon.

"You guys really seem to like having big soft toys with you. Is it a trend or something nowadays?" Ken asked as he poked Chibimon on the cheek. Unseen by the rest, he gave the Digimon a wink.

"Er… yeah. I think it is," Davis replied. Ken looked up at him and he caught the flicker of playfulness in the genius' eyes.

 _Son of a… He's just messing with them. Ken already knows about Digimon and he's just toying with us. What's he up to?_

"Hmm, if they're all toys then I suppose this guy won't react to food then? It's such a shame, because I brought some snacks with me." Ken took out a chocolate coated wafer bar and peeled the wrapper off halfway, waving it in front of Chibimon.

Davis faltered. Chocolate was Chibimon's favourite. There was no way he could resist the temptation.

To the little guy's credit, he actually managed to stay motionless as the snack was waved continuously in front of him. The smell of cocoa wafted into Chibimon's nostrils every time it passed over his nose and the temptation to snag the bar grew stronger. _What is he doing? Why is he torturing me with this… lovely… No, resist! But I can't… hold it in… much longer…_ A stream of drool begin to leak out of his mouth and onto Davis' arm. The slimy saliva was disgusting to the boy's skin and he shuddered.

Everyone else groaned. The cover that they had tried to maintain for so long had been blown, thanks to Chibimon's failed self-control. Ken grinned and handed the wafer to Chibimon, who grabbed it and started nibbling away at the snack bar.

"Honestly, I'm surprised that you guys managed to keep up the cover for so long. These guys are Digimon right? I knew it the first moment I saw them up close," Ken said, satisfied that he had managed to catch them off guard. He glanced at Davis, the latter giving him a bored look that said _you had your fun._

Taichi recovered and noted Ken's revelation about his knowledge of Digimon. "You know about Digimon?" he asked.

"Of course I do. I don't think anyone really forgot about the Rainbow Bridge – um, Hikarigaoka- incident. The sky was torn apart and there were monsters and stuff."

"I thought many people had forgotten about it? That was three years ago, no one ever spoke of it. It seems like most people don't really remember," Miyako exclaimed. She had regained her composure and was looking rather serious.

Ken licked his lips. "I wouldn't say that they forgot, but I think life just went on and the events were pushed out of their minds. It wasn't a pleasant incident so I doubt people wanted to remember it in the first place. Time passed and the public let sleeping dogs lie."

Iori voiced his question, "So you knew that we had Digimon with us?"

Ken shrugged. "Kind of. I could have been wrong and they were just really cute soft toys. It was kind of lucky that your Digimon spoke up. It gave me the chance to prove my suspicions."

"Now that Ken-kun knows about Digimon, here! Poromon, meet Ichijouji Ken-kun. Ken-kun, this is Poromon, my Digimon Partner!" Miyako held her feathery friend out for Ken to greet.

"This is my partner, Upamon. Nice to meet you," Iori courteously offered, bowing his head lightly. Upamon echoed his partner's words enthusiastically, adding his usual 'dagyaa' at the end of the sentence.

"This is Chibimon," Davis said simply. Ken knew about V-mon and Davis wasn't going to play his game. Ken nodded and looked at the three Digimon respectively before turning to Takeru, Hikari and Taichi.

"Do you have Digimon partners too?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. It was important to keep up appearances.

"Yeah, we do but they're probably hiding somewhere. They don't like to be seen around much," Hikari explained.

"My partner is Agumon, but he's not around. Maybe you'll see him someday." Taichi wasn't eager to give out classified Chosen Children information to a civilian.

 _Oh, I'll be seeing a lot more of him that you can imagine, Yagami. You have no idea,_ Ken thought. Out loud he said, "Fair enough. Now if you excuse me, Davis and I will have a quick shower to get the stink off us. My own smell is getting to me."

"Ah, alright. We'll wait for you two in the cafeteria then," Takeru noted.

Davis was standing close to Miyako at the time. He may have imagined it, but he heard a soft murmur of 'I'd love to smell you all day'. He rolled his eyes.

* * *

Fangirls were the worst. Davis should know because Jun was one. All the screaming, asking for autographs, discussing feats, and talks about getting married, he could do without. He didn't think he would ever be chased by fangirls, especially crazy fanatical ones that trampled anyone who was so unlucky to cross paths in their stampede. But there he was, running for his life with Ken. Technically it was Ken only that they were after, but Davis still ran with him anyway.

It was a nightmare that the two of them had run into after their clean up session. Still rubbing their wet hair with towels, they had walked right into a trap. The cafeteria was taken over by a dozen or more fangirls, all holding homemade signs and magazines with his face on it. The Chosen Children were rounded up at a corner, unable to move.

"Ichijouji Ken-kun!" the mob screamed, after one of them spotted the raven haired boy. Instantly, the attention of the girls homed in on their target. Like a swarm of bees, they surged towards him.

"Daisuke-kun! Ichijouji-kun! Save yourselves!" Hikari yelled.

"Run," Ken said. Davis didn't need to be told twice. The two boys scrambled for their lives, followed by a rabid group of fangirls. They ran into a corner and hurried up the stairs to the first floor. Miyako hurried along, yelling, "Oi you nutters, don't you dare hurt my Ichijouji-kun!"

"The girls in your school are crazier than mine," the Digimon Kaiser's alter ego remarked. "At least back there the most they do is stalk."

"Now is not the time to be saying something like this," he shot back, looking for a place to hide. "In here!"

They dodged into an empty classroom, closing the door and trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Outside, the girls paused to figure out where they had gone to. The boys curled up even more, hoping the darkness would conceal them should someone enter the room.

To their relief, a loud female voice screeched, "He must have gone upstairs, let's go search! We will not stop until we get his signature and a kiss on the cheek!" then followed by a cheer. They then thundered off, footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.

Davis and Ken remained crouched in the shadows, holding their breaths in anticipation. After a moment of silence, they sighed in relief, thinking that they were finally safe. They stood up, prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, the door to the room slid open, revealing a madly grinning fangirl. "Everyone, he's here!" she called, and the sound of footsteps grew louder. Ken was trapped at last!

There seemed to be no way out of this mess until Ken gripped Davis' shoulder and said, "Follow my lead." He jerked his head in the direction of the window where a tree grew outside. Before Davis could respond, he put a foot on the window sill and launched himself off the first floor. The mahogany haired boy watched as the girls screamed in shock and terror, at Ken who sailed across the air and grabbed hold one of the thick branches. He then dropped off onto the ground, bending his knees to absorb the impact. The group of girls who squeezed against him, trying to get a clear look at Ken. Their terror had subsided and changed into amazement.

"That's Ichijouji-kun for you, he's so good!"

"He's like a gymnast. Did you see the way he jumped out?"

"Awesome!"

Brushing the dirt off his pants, Ken looked back up at Davis, daring him to follow suit. Davis shook his head, pointing towards the gate with his eyes. Thankfully, Ken got the message and he ran for the exit.

The chatter and praise abruptly turned into moans of despair and disappointment when they saw him heading out.

The goggle boy managed to extract himself from the crowd and sneak out. A hand touched his and he looked back to see who it was. It was Hidari Rinko, a shy girl from his own class. "Daisuke-kun…" she said his name softly. Her jet black hair was tied in a ponytail, and her eyes were a warm shade of brown. "Are you…"

Frantic that he might not be able to catch up to his friend, he hurriedly apologized to the girl. "Sorry, Rinko-san, I really have to go. Ask me again someday!" He said, leaving the girl behind and rushing for the stairs. He skipped a few steps, careful not to trip. He later bumped into his gang of friends but he snatched Chibimon from Hikari with a "Sorry, I'll catch up with you guys later", leaving them to wonder what had gotten into the boy. Taichi reached out for his retreating figure, calling, "Oi Daisuke, where are you going?" He got no response.

"Geez, Daisuke-kun is always running away randomly. What's gotten into him?" Takeru commented, scratching his blond head.

Hikari stared at Davis' retreating figure. "Sometimes I wonder that too," she said softly, looking stricken and confused.

 _Daisuke-kun… Just what happened to you?_

* * *

Davis raced to the gates and found Ken leaning against the wall. Finally, some peace and quiet for their private discussion at last. The two made their way to the playground in the park, which was deserted at that time of the day. The afternoon was sunny but not blazing hot, and a cool wind blew dried leaves across the grassy field, creating a soft rustle. Davis took a seat on the empty swings, watching as Ken got a couple of sodas from the vending machine nearby and Chibimon playing on the slide. The young prodigy walked back towards him and tossed the can at Davis, who caught it with two hands. The aluminium cylinder felt cold and wet in his hands.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Ken asked, taking a seat on the adjacent swing. All the excitement had really worn them out. Even Davis had forgotten about the confrontation he had planned.

"Well… It's nothing really," Davis began, then mentally kicked himself. _What do you mean nothing? It's everything for goodness sake,_ he yelled at himself internally. "I just wanted to talk about our past. I _know_ there's something off, and you apparently knew that earlier than I did."

Ken scrutinised his face for a while before he popped his can and drank from it. The sweet, fizzy drink flowed down his throat, then he burped softly into a clenched fist. "You got that right. How much exactly, do you remember?" he asked.

"Just some images and feelings. I remember you, Tai, TK, Kari… and some place called the Academia. Tell me, is all of that real?" Davis replied.

Ken nodded slowly. "You and I were friends since we were young," he said, then he added, "Well, younger. Tai is your brother, I don't know who TK and Kari, and we used to study in the Academia. Or at least you did, I went to Tamachi all the same."

Davis gave him a nod of his own. He was now sure that Tai was his brother, but Taichi wasn't, was he? Tai was a Kamiya, _Davis_ was a Kamiya; Taichi was a Yagami, and that made a difference. But Hikari was Taichi's sister and not a Motomiya, and now _he_ was a Motomiya, but how did that relate to Jun... It made so little sense that his head hurt just thinking about it. Ken seemed to notice his mental turmoil because he said, "You're thinking about the differences right? Don't worry, for a moment I thought Sam was dead too."

The boy with spiky hair frowned, cocking his head in confusion. "Who's dead?"

Ken started, then realised that Davis didn't know that much yet. He answered, "Oh, don't worry about it. My brother is Sam and he's alive and kicking back home, although his counterpart Osamu is dead in this reality." The young prodigy felt a pang of sadness and guilt for the native Ichijouji Ken, who'd probably have to come to the realisation at some point that his real brother had truly passed on. He hoped that Sam would be able to comfort his doppelganger.

Davis watched as his companion's face fell slightly, but he didn't push the subject. So he asked, "Are we really in another world?"

"Yep."

"So all these are just broken memories and I'm not going crazy, am I?"

Ken's smile returned. "Those are memories alright, though I'm not sure about the going crazy bit. You have always been kind of a psycho at times," he said and laughed heartily when Davis gave him a narrowed glare. "Kidding, so what else do you want to know? You've already confirmed that we are indeed non-native inhabitants of this timeline, world, universe or whatever."

Davis opened his mouth to speak again. "How much do you remember?" he asked. Ken just shrugged and too another sip from his soda can.

"Everything, I guess. It has all come back to me."

Davis eyes lit up, and he stood up from the swing to face Ken fully. "Tell me how," he demanded. He didn't say much, but Ken understood that he was referring to how he had unlocked his forgotten past. Chibimon upon noticing his partner's agitated movement, bounced over and stood by Davis' leg, placing a stubby hand on his calf.

Ken pursed his lips, not liking the direction the conversation had gone. He knew the question was inevitable, but he still had held hope that Davis wouldn't ask him. A presence tingled in his mind and he saw from the corner of his eyes, a figure in an Armani suit walking towards the swing. Davis didn't seem to notice, but Ken knew it was Nauticus. The overdressed, masked man folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the painted metal frame of the swing, dual coloured eyes staring at Ken expectantly.

The boy shook his head. "It's a long story, and all you need to know is that you don't need your memories back just yet. It is crucial that they remain dormant until all of this is over."

"What do you mean, I don't need my memories back yet?" Davis practically yelled. "I have the right to get my past back, so tell me how!"

"I can't," Ken protested heatedly.

"Why not?!"

"Because I don't know how!" Ken stood up and screamed at Davis. "I somehow just got my memories back and all I know is that I shouldn't have, and it is important for you to not remember everything until this whole thing is solved, because doing so will only doom us all!"

"What are you talking about?" Davis demanded again, clenching his unopened can tightly. The answers that Ken had given only brought up more questions. _Why can't he tell me? Why shouldn't I remember? What did he mean by dooming us all?_ Even Chibimon became wary of the tension between the two boys for he leapt onto Davis' shoulder and perched on it, eyeing Ken carefully should he act rashly.

Ken pinched the bridge of his nose, then he responded in a calmer tone, "I know you have many questions, but many of them cannot be answered right now mainly because even I am not sure of the situation." The last part was a lie. He had a clear idea what was going on, but he couldn't let Davis know that just yet. He pleaded, "Just trust me to do what's best, alright?" Nauticus snorted and walked off, and the presence vanished from Ken's head.

Davis felt rather miffed by the answer he had gotten. Ken had just requested that he blindly follow his lead, with just his word that he knew what he was doing. Did he trust the prodigy enough to do so?

 _Probably not, but it's the only option for now,_ he thought. Reluctantly, he warned, "I'll trust you for now, but don't you dare try any tricks, Ichijouji."

Ken nodded grimly. "I won't," he promised. _Not when the fate of the world rests on my –no, our- shoulders._

Relaxing slightly, Davis lifted a hand to pet Chibimon, then he opened the can and took a measured gulp before passing it to his partner.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you… Digimon don't do well with fizz, or at least Wormmon doesn't," Ken said.

Chibimon downed half the can in one go and belched, causing Ken to scrunch up his face in disgust. "I'm not Wormmon. I have been drinking these things for a long time," he chirped. Ken shrugged at the response, thinking that he'd have to find out what else that Wormmon was couldn't handle.

The mention of the bug Digimon reminded Davis of another topic he had been wanting to discuss. "Why did you become the Digimon Kaiser?" he asked.

Ken sighed. "Again, Kamiya… You really have a knack for asking questions that you're not ready to receive the answer to. Would it help if I just said it was just for fun?" Seeing the unamused looks on both Davis and his partner's faces, his lip curled. "I'll take it as a no then."

"Ken…" Davis said in a threatening voice. This confrontation was definitely not unravelling the way he had imagined it had.

The Digimon Kaiser's alter ego chuckled lowly. Following a moment of thoughtful silence, he proposed, "Let's just say that it wasn't an accident that we arrived to this place. We both have jobs to do –uh-uh, don't interrupt—and each has their own importance, towards a shared goal. That's all I'll say." It was a win-win answer, sort of. Ken didn't give anything away, Davis got another piece information, and hopefully he had picked up the subtle hint that he wasn't the true enemy.

Davis indeed seemed to understand, for he eyed Ken suspiciously. "Shared goal?" He asked, trying to prod more out of the boy. Ken obviously knew more than he let on, but it was overwhelmingly frustrating that he wasn't revealing anything more.

"That's all you'll get from me. You'll have to thread carefully with your next questions, if you still have any, or you'll end up with the same kind of answers. I have already said more than I should," Ken replied firmly. Davis shook his head, showing that he had run out of inquiries. The tension vanished from the raven-haired boy's posture. He finished the last of his drink and squashed the can under his foot. Then he kicked the flattened disc, making it ricochet off the bark of a tree and into the trash can next to it.

Chibimon stared in awe. "Daisuke, can you do that?" he asked. His partner grumbled, telling him to shut up. Ken smiled at them, then he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Well then, Motomiya Daisuke… No, Davis Kamiya. The next time we meet, it'll be as opponents in the Digital World. I will have you know that for the sake of dignity, I will not be pulling any punches so you and your team had better step up your game," he announced.

Davis felt unsatisfied with what little information he had managed to wring from his supposed friend. To top it off, he felt despair that he was going to have to face Ken in battle soon. It put him at a disadvantage because the Digimon Kaiser was now officially one step ahead with his exclusive knowledge. "Does it have to be this way? Are we destined to fight each other?"

Ken nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, yes. But the fight isn't meaningless, Davis. Just keep that in mind." With that ambiguous statement, he turned and started to walk off before he heard his name being called.

"Hey, Ichijouji!" he spun around and a familiar looking purple bottle came sailing into his hands. He looked at it and back at Davis. "Next time, don't forget to bring all your stuff with you," he shot at Ken.

The prodigy smiled and raised a hand in farewell. He proceeded ahead, but he doubled back and called out, "Oh, and Davis? Lighten up a bit. The overly serious personality doesn't suit you too well." Then he left the adolescent and his Digimon standing alone in the park.

Exhaling, Davis zipped his bag shut and slung it over his shoulders like Ken did, plopped Chibimon on his head and walked home. "Neh, Daisuke… What was that all about?" the blue dragon asked Davis on the way, his big ruby red eyes gazing down at him, imploring him to answer. For a second Davis almost told him everything, but then he shook his head and said, "Not today, Chibimon. This is something I'll tell you about… when the time is right."

 _Or when I am ready._

* * *

 _A/N: I had writer's block for this chapter for some reason. Personally I'm still worried that the pacing in this chapter is a little rushed, but this is the best I can produce. Hopefully the next chapter will be better._

 _I initially had more to add after this but I felt that pacing would be an issue so I moved it to the next chapter. I hope I wrote the whacky, rabid fangirls scene well enough. It works so hilariously in anime and J-drama. Also I'm sure many of you were expecting this confrontation to come at some point, seeing how I kept teasing it in previous chapters too. Truth be told, it turned out very much different from what I imagined it in the first place. The original version didn't have the fangirls and the dialogue took place in a café._

 _I also realised that I had subconsciously modelled Ken and Davis after Philip and Shotaro from Kamen Rider W, though their personalities will slowly begin to show as the story progresses. They are my favourite dynamic duo from Tokutatsu shows. In fact, if you're looking for characters to base off for Digimon in your stories, I really suggest you try and watch the Heisei era Kamen Riders (except Hibiki because that sucks) as their casts are vibrant, diverse and lovable, not to mention true-to-Japanese as well. I think it's important because even if you're writing fanfiction for anime, it'd be a good idea to make it have as much Japanese style and feel to it as possible. It's a little different if you watch the dubs, because it's mostly Americanised or localised. I grew up with Japanese shows in their original form, so I will try to replicate their dialogues, mannerisms and all._

 _Speaking of styles, I found a relatively comfortable one that is greatly immersive. The thing I hate the most about many characters in a chapter is that it is infuriatingly hard to focus on the POV of one. I know Davis is my main, and even with the chapters not featuring him, I still tend to use the Third Person POV to write them, and the result is not entirely satisfying at times. It's still best to focus on that few character POV's throughout the story but I don't think it's that much possible in mine. I'll continue to experiment with the writing styles until I'm comfortable with one._

 _Oh and if you're interested in Zootopia, I have a running story for that as well. Be sure to check it out. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading ;)_


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: It's been awfully long since I last updated. I kind of lost my drive to write, until I met some people recently who were just as passionate about fanfiction that I felt inspired and so I came about putting this chapter into words. On the other hand, I am thinking about reverting back to the more familiar Young Adult novel style. I don't have that much patience nor time to take up the fantasy GoT/LoTR style, but it's noteworthy that the Japanese dialogues and mannerisms that I'm trying to be loyal to makes it a bit dry without supplement descriptions._

* * *

Chapter 13

"Daisuke, will I ever get a Digimon partner like you?"

Davis froze, his jaw dangling open and his sandwich lifted halfway towards his mouth. He gazed at Jun who sat opposite him at the dining table, stirring her mug of hot chocolate glumly. Lowering his breakfast onto the plate, he scratched his head and pondered how he should answer the question.

"Why do you want a Digimon partner?"

There was a sound of the metal spoon clinking against the ceramic walls of the mug as Jun continued stirring idly. "I don't know, I just want a pet or something, to keep me company."

Davis gave his sister a bored look. "Sis, Digimon aren't animals that you can play around with. If you want a pet, go get a dog or something."

From underneath the table, Chibimon hopped onto Davis' lap and peeked over the table top. He piped up, "That's right, we are not just your everyday creatures. We are Digital Monsters!" Startled, Davis looked around to check if Mrs Motomiya was around. Luckily, she was out hanging the laundry oat the balcony.

Jun sighed, protesting, "But animals can't talk like Digimon! They don't really understand what we say and they're hard to manage. A dog can never match up to a Digimon."

Chibimon nodded in agreement. "That's right! What's a dog, Daisuke? I heard the hot ones were tasty?" he queried.

"Everything is tasty if you're hungry enough," Jun muttered. Davis looked at her. His partner looked up at him.

"Is that true, Daisuke?"

 _Jun's certainly feeling moody today,_ he thought. _Chibimon is going to get ideas._

"No, Chibimon. Not everything can be eaten, tasty or not. And no, dogs are different from hot dogs. You can eat hot dogs but you can't eat dogs. Hot dogs are food, dogs are not," Davis explained.

"So does that mean all I have to do is make a dog hot and it becomes food?" Chibimon asked again. Jun snorted and began snickering into her drink while Davis gave her a dirty look. Clearing his throat, he explained that hot dogs were like sausages, and dogs were… dogs.

"So if I turn a dog into a sausage, can I eat it then?"

Jun burst out laughing, hitting the table with a fist. The cutlery rattled and her hot chocolate swished in her mug. "You certainly can! See, Daisuke? Dogs don't make jokes like this, only Digimon can," she said, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. Davis badly wanted to hurl his mug at her.

"Not everybody can get a Digimon Partner, sis," he said, watching his response wipe the cheerfulness off the female Motomiya's face. "We are Chosen Children and we have—" he caught himself from blurting out his regular trips to the Digital World. The excursions were not always fun-riddled and most of the time they were pretty dangerous. The information would only worry Jun and a noisy, concerned elder sister was the last thing he needed. "—responsibilities to keep the Digimon a secret. It's not a game."

Jun seemed to buy the answer, but she appeared troubled. "It's not fair. Why can't I be a Chosen Child? How come only you get all the fun?"

 _Trust me, it isn't as easy as you think it is,_ Davis groused silently. There had to be a way for him to get it across that the existence of Digimon was not to be treated lightly. He chose his next words carefully. "I don't know how I became a Chosen Child, but I think there is a reason why only a few are like me. Imagine what would happen if everyone knew about Digimon. People would be scared and there will be conflict. We cannot allow that to happen."

The answer only caused Jun to sink further into a depressed mood. She sighed and laid her head on the table. Davis didn't know what to say to her, but he was interrupted by Chibimon voicing his forever non-satiable hunger.

"Can I eat that, Daisuke?" He pointed at Davis' uneaten sandwich. Feeling distracted, he nodded and let the blue dragon devour his unfinished meal. Suddenly, he got a jolt of inspiration and went to his room. His sister watched him go curiously. When he re-emerged, he had a silver mouse in his palm.

Jun raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you holding your mouse?"

"This is not a mouse. This is Metalkoromon." On cue, Metalkoromon turn around and beep at Jun in his metallic voice.

"Hi, nice to meet you!"

The girl's eyes widened. "No way, you have _two_ Digimon while I can't have any? That's not fair!" she moaned.

Davis shook his head. "Metalkoromon is not mine," he denied, "He's just staying with me. Since you wanted a Digimon to keep you company, you can help me take care of him."

Jun took Metalkoromon and examined him closely. She sighed, "But this guy is not squishy and huggable like Chibimon."

Her brother folded his arms and glared. "Take him or leave him, Sis. It's not like you have a choice here," he said. Glancing at the clock, his eyes widened.

"I am supposed to meet Hikari in five minutes! Come on, Chibimon." His blue partner wiped the crumbs off his mouth and hopped into his bag. Davis took off in after saying goodbye to his mom and Jun, then rushed off to school.

Jun who still had some time before going to class, looked down at Metalkoromon who stared back curiously. Pursing her lips, she decided that having a friend/pet wouldn't be too bad, despite it being a talking metal mouse.

She tried, "Hi, my name is Motomiya Jun."

* * *

"Miyako, will you please stop drooling over that autograph of Ken?"

Miyako blinked and turned towards Davis. "What, I wasn't drooling… was I?" She wiped her mouth on her sleeve just to make sure.

The brown haired boy rolled his eyes. "A few seconds later and you would have been. Seriously, it's just an autograph. What's so great about it?"

Miyako stepped forward and held the signed magazine with Ken on the cover in his face. "This is not just any autograph. This is the very first issue that Ken-kun debuted and includes a special interview with him right after his win against the world chess master, and now it's also signed by his truly!"

Davis pushed the obscuring magazine out of his face and frowned. "I still don't see what the big deal is."

"Maybe that's because you don't have any appreciation of talent," Miyako shot at him.

Meanwhile, Iori was dutifully ignoring the banter behind him and checking the map of the Digital World for anomalies. Hikari and Takeru stood at his sides, surveying the screen with him. Soon, they picked up a speck of black amongst a sea of white.

"Look at this, seems like the Kaiser built a Dark Tower here last night. But why would he start at…" Iori hovered the mouse's cursor over the location and read out the name, "Death Valley?"

Upamon peered at the screen and added, "Death Valley… There's nothing in that place at all, just lots of sand."

Tailmon frowned. "I don't like sand. It's coarse, rough, and irritating… And it gets everywhere."

Takeru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Death Valley… I think there's a place in America that has the same name. Let me check." He opened an Internet browser and typed in his search and proved himself right. "See?"

Hikari nodded. "The Digital World is based on the Real World after all, so it's not too surprising. But why would the Digimon Kaiser want to put up a Dark Tower in the middle of nowhere?"

"Maybe he's setting up a foothold to expand from there… We never know what the Kaiser might be planning," Iori theorized. It was a good guess, but they had to know for sure.

"Alright then, let's go check it out. Daisuke-kun, are you ready to go?" All three kids turned towards their leader, expecting to find him arguing with Inoue, only to find Miyako clasping his hands and giving him wide puppy eyes. Davis looked at his teammates and deadpanned.

"Don't ask."

* * *

The Digimon Kaiser stood in his command room, contemplating his next move. He stared at the screens displaying information for his Chimera Project, but he wasn't really seeing. Lost in his thoughts, only the purple tinted lenses of his glasses prevented anyone from spotting his zoned-out expression.

"This is not going to work," Nauticus walked up and stood next to Ken.

"What makes you say so?" Ken asked absently.

"It lacks power. It lacks intimidation." Nauticus pointed at the screen on their left. "You added Blossomon's vines as a mane, and Unimon's wings. You're not trying to create a disfigured Medusa, are you?"

"No, but I don't have enough data to create the ultimate servant yet. The strongest forms still lie within the Chosen Children's Digimon, and it is hard to predict the evolution lines of non-bonded Digimon." The Kaiser pointed at the blueprint of his creation. "I have Garurumon's legs, Greymon's torso, Kabuterimon's head and Kuwagamon's arms. I need more strong data."

"Patience, you will get what you want, and I know where to get the last part to complete it."

Ken pursed his lips. "I'm not really focused on Project Chimera right now. I'm trying to figure out how to help the Chosen Children grow stronger, putting them at too much risk."

Nauticus peered at him behind his mask, still wearing his classy business suit. "The easiest way would be to just throw big baddies at them and hope they somehow get enough new powers to fight their way out, but I think that hardly counts as a solution. What do you have in mind?"

Ken pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm not sure, but I know for one that Davis is their leader so my first choice would be to get him to power up. That should inspire the rest of the team to become stronger as well. The question is… how?"

Nauticus smiled behind his mask. "Oh, just leave that to me. Before Ichijouji could react, he reached out and put a finger on the Kaiser's forehead.

* * *

Soon after, the Chosen Children touched down in the desert landscape of Death Valley. Not a sign of life was seen, only uneven dusty ground and chunks of dry earth rising from the ground. All in all, it did look quite similar to the pictures of the real Death Valley that they just saw.

"So, where do we start looking?" Davis asked.

Hikari pointed to the top of the hill. "Perhaps we should start where we have a clearer view?"

The rest nodded in agreement and began their hike. After several moments, they reached the top and gazed across the barren landscape.

"Hmm, it would be nice to have Koushiro-san's and his computer with us. He could have pulled out a map anytime," Takeru commented.

Iori squinted into the distance and pointed at where he was looking. "Over there, do you see something?" The others turned in his direction and tried to spot what he had seen.

"What's there, Iori dagyaa?" Upamon asked.

"I think it's the tip of a dark tower."

Sure enough, they were in fact looking at the half obscured tip of the black obelisk, only barely visible at a certain angle. Davis bent down to Iori's level and nodded.

"Nice one, Iori. I think we have our destination. Let's go!"

With shouts of agreement, the team set out, eager to topple another one of the Kaiser's unsightly monuments. However, disaster struck the moment they reached the base of the hill. The ground shook and a chasm opened beneath the children's feet. Davis and V-mon managed to stay safe but the rest weren't so lucky.

Next to him, Takeru swung his arms wildly trying to stabilise himself. Davis shot out his arm and pulled his friend to safety. Patamon flew into his arms in relief. They watched in horror as Iori and Hikari fall into the chasm below, their partners with them on their way down. Miyako leapt from rock to rock and grabbed onto Hawkmon. Unfrtunately, she was too heavy for the bird to carry and they too fell screaming into the darkness below.

"No, Hikari-chan! Iori-kun! Miyako-san!" Takeru cried out. Pulling his green D-3 out, he made Patamon Armor Evolve into Pegasmon and mounted his partner, prepared to go rescue their teammates. He was stopped by the emergence of three Drimogemon that tunnelled their way to the surface, staring at him emotionlessly with glowing red eyes.

"Those Drimogemon are controlled by the Digimon Kaiser!" V-mon yelled. "Daisuke, let me evolve now!" Davis pulled out his D-3, hesitated, and then shook his head.

"No, we can't beat them like that. We have to take out the Dark Tower in order to free them from the Kaiser's control." Turning towards Takeru, he called, "Takeru, let's hurry and take down that Tower! They'll be free automatically after that!"

On top of Pegasmon, Takeru responded, "We can't leave our friends like this!"

Davis bit his lip. His friend was right. "Then you go! You have the flying horse, you can get there faster. I'll stall these guys for some time," Davis jabbed his arm in the direction of the Dark Tower. Takeru nodded and he shot off on his steed.

Holding out his blue D-3, Davis looked at V-mon and said, "Go for it, buddy. Digimental Up!"

Engulfed in flames, V-mon shone bright crimson and shot into the air, now Fladramon. He landed hard on a Drimogemon's head, crashing it into the ground and leaving a crater. He then somersaulted off and hurled shots of Knuckle Fire at his other horned adversaries. The attack wasn't really effective and the moles recovered quickly. They swiped at Fladramon who nimbly dodge the strikes. Two Drimogemon charged at him from opposite directions and he caught their horns, pushing upwards and toppling them over. They got up and resumed their stance, ready to attack again.

"Takeru had better hurry up. Fladramon can't hold out like this much longer," Davis grunted. Unexpectedly, Ken showed up on top of a giant dinosaur. Davis felt somewhat relieved and waved.

"Ken! Call off your minions, my friends are down there and I gotta save them!" He called, thinking he could negotiate for a surrender and retreat. Things took a turn for worse when the Digimon Kaiser merely smirked.

"I don't know. What do you think, Deltamon?" He asked. The Digimon roared in response. He shrugged and said, "Well, I guess Deltamon doesn't want to."

Deltamon opened all three mouths, two on the heads it had for limbs and his actual one, charging up bursts of energy. Before he got a chance to fire, he was hit by a beam of energy from above. Takeru had returned to help!

"Did you get the Tower?" Davis asked.

"No, I didn't. I saw the Kaiser coming and couldn't just leave you behind."

The Digimon Kaiser grinned and mocked, "Good thing too, because Mr Goggle head here would have been toast. Drimogemon, bring me the Chosen Children who have fallen into the pit."

The moles began tunnelling into the ground. Fladramon tried to stop them but a small blast of energy halted his tracks.

"Your opponent is Deltamon. If you can win, then I will guarantee your friends' safety. The question is, can you?" the Kaiser taunted.

"Don't do this," Davis pleaded, "there are lives at stake here. This isn't a game."

The Kaiser shrugged. "To me it is. Like it or not, you'll have to beat me in order to save your friends. What I'm offering here is actually better, I believe."

Looking at his teammate, Davis and Takeru silently nodded in agreement. They had to take this chance, whether the Kaiser was telling the truth or not. Together, they ordered their partners to attack simultaneously.

"Fire Rocket!"

"Silver Blaze!"

The edge of the Kaiser's mouth curled. "Go, Deltamon. Triplex Force!"

The attacks collided and exploded in a bright light, the force of the explosion knocking out the Chosen Children and their partners. The Digimon Kaiser unshielded his eyes and gazed down upon the unconscious bodies of his foes.

 _Here's where the good part begins,_ he thought with a smile.

* * *

" _Come on, it's my turn to use the bucket now!" TK protested, folding his arms and pouting grumpily. The seven year old boy had grains of sand stuck to his face, but he didn't seem to notice. Other than his green shorts, he wasn't wearing anything else. He sat on the sand, his toes wriggling and enjoying the feeling of the loose silica._

 _A girl wearing a pink swimsuit knelt next to him. Kari rolled her eyes. She used the plastic shovel to scoop some sand into the small, red-rimmed blue bucket. "You hogged the bucket for a long time, it's my turn now. Aren't you finished with your castle already?"_

 _TK looked at the half finished structure. The sandcastle was starting to look like a misshapen Crusader fortress, only that it lacked a last crooked tower. Davis was carefully digging a moat around the perimeter. The boys had found shells and pebbles to use as windows, as well as putting small lumps of sand on the walls, claiming that they were guards._

" _No, I'm not and I need it now. Your little island can wait. Give it to me!" TK made a swipe for it but Kari held the bucket full of sand away from him. She stood up and raised the pail above her head. TK tried to reach for it but he couldn't, even with tiptoeing. At that age Kari was an inch taller than the boy was, putting her at a slight advantage._

" _Can't reach it, can you shortie-kay?" she teased. TK jumped up and down, but she held the small bucket out of his reach. Suddenly, Kari had an idea and she grinned evilly. "Heads up!" she yelled and dumped the contents of the pail onto TK's head. The blond went silent, his arms held high. Bits of sand rolled off his hair. He shook his head violently, using his hands to brush off the offending particles. Then he gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and shouted, "KARI!" The adolescent girl ran off, squealing and laughing as the angry boy chased her along the beach. They ran past by people relaxing and sunbathing._

 _Davis shook his head, chuckling himself at his friends' antics. The two kids ran past a tall man in a white cloak. His hood covered created a shadow over his eyes, revealing only a stubby chin with a strong jaw. He brandished a black walking stick, fitted with a gold knob that reflected the bright sunlight. His head turned as TK and Kari ran past him, then he continued his journey straight ahead. When he came closer, Davis saw that the rims of the sleeves and hood were line with gold fabric and he was wearing brown gloves._

 _Feeling slightly intimidated, Davis pretended to continue working on the sandcastle. The man in white strolled past behind him without stopping. Davis heard something drop next to him and he looked to his left. On the sand lay a small device, white with a tinge of light blue. He picked it up and examined it. The device was large enough to fit snuggly in his palm and was strangely shaped. It was rectangular with the four corners sunken inwards. On the top left corner protruded a short dark blue antenna, and there were two ridges each on the top side and bottom of the device. There were three blue buttons, one on the left and two on the right, and there was a circular rim engraved with weird symbols around a square, unlit screen._

 _Davis looked around for the owner and saw the man in white a short distance away with his back turned. The man made no motion of stopping or checking his pockets for anything lost. Davis hurriedly got up and called, "Sir! Mister, hold on." The man stopped and he caught up._

" _Mister," Davis said, sounding a bit out of breath, "I believe this is yours?" He held out the device._

 _The man was silent for a moment before he asked, "Are you sure?"_

 _Stunned, Davis replied slowly, "I'm… pretty sure you dropped it."_

 _More silence followed before the man reached out and took the device with a gloved hand. He took it and brushed the sand off. He then said with a small smile, "I guess this isn't yours after all. Thank you for returning it to me, young one." He bent down and rubbed Davis' hair. The boy caught sight of the man's eyes under the hood. They were multi-coloured and constantly changing. One moment he had turquoise irises but a second later they were purple, then they were gold. Davis stared mesmerized at the alternating colours, exiting his trance-like state when the man rose to full height and stalked off. There was a symbol at the back of his cloak as well. It was an angular M with four diamond shapes pointing up, down, and left right diagonally. Davis again stared at the symbol, etching it into memory. It resembled a claw, which was kind of cool._

" _Davis! What are you doing? Wake up! Earth to Davis!" Kari's voice echoed from behind, sounding really far away…_

* * *

"Wake up. Come on, don't make me use the hard way."

Davis opened his eyes and lifted an arm over his face, his eyes rapidly adjusting to the sunlight.

 _What did I see? Was that a vision?_

He propped himself up on the dry, hard earth and noticed his unconscious partner next to him. Dusting himself off, he shook his Digimon. "V-mon, get up. Are you alright?"

V-mon groaned and rubbed his head. "What happened? There was a huge blast and then big boom and then—"

"You passed out. Knocked out cold by the force of the explosion from Deltamon's attack," a familiar voice finished his sentence from behind. The vision fading from Davis' mind, he and his Digimon spun around. They found the Digimon Kaiser standing behind them with his arms folded and a smug grin on his face. V-Mon readied his stance in front of his partner.

Initially startled, Davis quickly became infuriated by the presence. "Why would you do something like that?! You could have got us killed!" he shouted.

"Because I wanted to show you how weak you are. You can't defeat me as you are right now."

"But why? You didn't have to ambush us _and_ overpower us. What happened to pulling your punches?"

The Kaiser grinned. "I _am_ pulling my punches," he said. "I could have sent more. I could have made Deltamon land a fatal blow but here you are, well and alive. So are you friends, if I should point that out." He waved a hand at the Chosen Children and their partners, unconscious and dangling fifty feet above ground from the rock arch.

Horrified, Davis stared open-mouthed at his captured companions. He rounded on the Kaiser and demanded, "Let them go, Ichijouji! Why are you doing this?"

"Am I not being obvious? This is an attempt to defeat you and take over the Digital World, the most obvious reason among others." Pausing to think, he raised two fingers. He continued, "Second, because I am bored and I am looking for entertainment."

The Kaiser gazed down at Davis, a smug smile plastered on his face. Davis thought he detected a hint of red behind the purple tint of his glasses.

"I am the Digimon Kaiser, ruler of the Digital World. You are a trespasser on my lands and you shall pay by giving me a fun show, along with your friends."

Raising his fingers to his mouth, he let loose a shrill whistle. The ground shook as giant footsteps approached. Deltamon, the last thing Davis and V-mon saw before they were rendered unconscious stomped in and roared.

"Fun fact about Deltamon, is that it has three heads means it has three stomachs so it is _always_ hungry," Kaiser Ken chirped. "He could use a meal right now, but I have no idea which of the Chosen to feed him first."

He looked at Davis and ask the dreaded question.

"Why don't you choose?"

Appalled by the cruelty of the situation, V-mon raised a fist and shouted, "How dare you! I will beat you up for doing something like this." He turned to his partner and said, "Daisuke, let me evolve. We'll defeat Deltamon and save everyone."

The Kaiser frowned. "Don't be a killjoy, V-mon. Let Davis choose who he wants to get eaten first."

"His name is not Davis, his name is Daisuke and he will not choose anyone because we will save them all!"

Davis looked at his partner. "V-mon…" he murmured

Kaiser Ken shrugged. "Go ahead, I would like to see you try."

The leader of the Chosen Children stepped forward. "V-mon is right, we will save them all." Holding up his D-3, he initiated the Armour Evolution.

"Digimental Up!"

Encapsulated in fire, V-mon's form morphed into a taller and slimmer version of himself, equipped with armour of flame motifs.

"Last chance, Digimon Kaiser. Let our friends go," he warned.

Ichijouji's lip curled. "If you insist. Deltamon, eat the girl with the Tailmon first."

His servant complied, opening his jaws and snapping up Hikari and Tailmon in its mouth

"No!" Davis screamed. Fladramon hurled Knuckle Fire at Deltamon's face. The intensity of the attack caused considerable pain and it roared, launching Hikari and Tailmon into the air out of its open mouth.

With the grace of an agile panther, Fladramon catapulted himself and caught the two of them and landed safely. Deltamon's thunderous roar of agony shook the cavern and awoke the other Chosen children.

"Where are we?" Takeru groans. His partner made some muffled noises, his mouth taped shut.

"We're so high up the ground!" Miyako shrieks, struggling against the ropes. Hawkmon cried out in vain, trying to get his partner to calm down.

"Miyako-san, stop shaking the ropes! We're going to fall! Miyako-san!"

Ichijouji laughed at the spectacle. "Alright, we'll go with the other damsel in distress then. Deltamon, eat that girl with the Hawkmon," he ordered. His slave obediently turned his attention towards the flailing hostages who screamed even louder in fear.

Thinking fast, Fladramon shot a precisely aimed Knuckle Fire and seared the ropes, just was Deltamon's maw hovered over the Chosen Child and her partner. Annoyed by the burning sensation that had struck his cheek for a second time, Deltamon reared back and tried to get the smoulders off.

"Hikari, save the others. I'll hold Deltamon off!" Fladramon leapt forward to fight Deltamon. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of light. Nefertimon appeared with Hikari on her back, ready to release the other hostages. He turned his attention towards his opponent, hulking ten times over and staring him down menacingly. He gulped and mustered whatever courage he could to speak.

"You prick, eat this! Knuckle Fire!"

He was surprised by how steady his voice was. He lit his gauntlets ablaze and hurled his fireballs at the enslaved Deltamon. His adversary was ready this time and parried the attack. Deltamon lunged out, narrowly missing Nefertimon and Hikari who were trying to free Takeru.

 _I must draw his attention away from them,_ Fladramon thought. Out loud, he barked, "Over here, you lousy oyster!"

Davis blinked. What did his partner just say?

The Kaiser snorted. "You have to teach your partner to swear better, Kamiya. Deltamon, don't bother with the pest. Focus on the Chosen Children!"

Fladramon watched in despair as Deltamon ignored his attempts to divert its attention. Desperately, he lunged at its neck, only to get struck down by a hammering skull from above. He crashed into the ground, hastily rolling out of the way as a giant foot crushed the earth where he was a nanosecond ago. He scrambled to his feet and pounced from ledge to ledge, trying to get in front of the approaching monstrosity.

To his horror, Deltamon unclasped its jaw and a vortex of fire began to form in its throat. It blasted flames directly at the Chosen Children. A surge of energy flowed through Fladramon and he shot at breakneck speeds to the centre of the arch.

"Fire Rocket!"

The two attacks collided in an explosion, sending out a wave of heat. The force created blasted stones and earth everywhere, raising a cloud of dust. Davis and Ichijouji dropped on all fours, shielding themselves from the blast. When the dust cleared, Deltamon could be seen getting to its feet as the Chosen Children lay half buried under a heap of dirt, moving weakly. V-mon lay unconscious.

Davis dusted himself off and surveyed the damage. Behind him, the Kaiser stirred.

"Wow, that was one hell of a blast," he commented dryly. "Don't want to see that happen again anytime soon."

"You think this is funny?" Davis' soft voice was heard. The boy's shoulders were trembling, and he whipped around to face his opponent. Tears of anger streamed down his face. "They could have died, or be severely injured. Why would do something like this?"

The Kasier frowned. "That is your duty to protect them. You have to keep them safe. Judging by how you did, I'd say you failed."

Davis shook his head in disbelief. "This was all… _a test?_ " he spat. "You put all of us in harm's way so that you could _test_ us?"

"No, to test _you._ Don't you see? There will always be danger. If you manage to defeat me there will forever be enemies out to get you. They're not going to sit around idly and wait for you to defeat them."

Ken pointed at the gauge of destruction. "Look at all this. This is the result of you not being able to fight back. This is what will happen if you do not get stronger. _This,_ " he said in contempt, "is what will happen in the future. Your friends lying dead on the battlefield because of your weakness. You will never beat me in this state, and if you miraculously did, you will fall at the hands of enemies far worse."

"Shut up!"

A purplish aura was emanating from the Chosen of Courage. He glared intensely at the Kaiser with venomous eyes. "I don't give a crap about your excuses. You put my friends in danger then you hurt them. You pretended to be my ally but now you show your true colours. You will pay for that!"

Down below, V-mon's eyes snapped open, emitting a glow not unlike the aura of his partner. A beam of dark purple light shot from Davis' D-3 and hit him, swirling like a storm around the Digimon. From it, Fladramon emerged. However, where his armour was previously red, there was only jet black. His blue dragon hide was marred with slashes of purple. He let loose a feral roar, the sound sounding much deeper than before.

Takeru rubbed his head and picked up his fallen hat. He dusted it off and put it on, only noticing the dark version of his friend's Digimon standing with its back facing him. Fladramon's tail swished from side to side aggressively, crouching into a pouncing position.

"What—Fladramon?" he asked tentatively. The lizard man didn't respond, instead he shot forward at the fallen figure of Deltamon. Having just gotten to its feet, it was not ready for the impact of Fladramon's tackle. It was knocked back into the mountainside, leaving a Deltamon shaped crater on it.

"Whoa, what the heck. I don't even…" Ichijouji blabbered, shocked by the sudden display of strength. He watched in half amazement as Fladramon started trashing Deltamon almost effortlessly. A flaming punch to the cheek, followed by an armoured kneecap to the chin. A somersault off the rocky walls and a slash to the legs. Deltamon flailed aimless, like warding off invisible flies. At the speed he was going, Fladramon might as well have been one.

"Look at him go," Iori said in amazement. He dusted himself off and helped Miyako to her feet.

"This isn't right. Fladramon is hurting Deltamon." Takeru murmured as Hikari took his hand and stood up wobbly.

Patamon hovered around his partner. "We have to stop Fladramon."

"What about Daisuke-kun?" Hikari asked. "Where is he?"

They heard a yell from above and looked up. They witnessed the new Chosen of Courage charge at the Digimon Kaiser. Taken by surprise, the Kaiser barely avoided the punch thrown at his face. He sidestepped and snarled.

"What are you doing?"

Davis roared and swung at his enemy again. He missed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pegasmon and Holsmon zoom past. He decided to ignore them and threw another punch. Ichijouji bent down. The blow passed harmlessly over his head. Sensing his opportunity, he closed in and performed a skilful Judo flip, using Davis' momentum to hurl him to the ground.

"You're just embarrassing yourself now, Davis. I am a trained martial art—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because Davis grabbed his ankle and yanked. The Kaiser yelped and fell. He landed hard on his bottom. Just as he stood up, he got the wind knocked out of him as Davis lunged out in a bodily tackle, sending them both rolling down the dusty slope.

The world spun around the two boys as they tumbled downward. They hit the dirt soon after, groaning in pain. Ichijouji propped himself up on his elbow, getting into a kneeling position and back on his feet. He picked up his fallen glasses and hurriedly shoved them back on his face just as the Chosen Children rushed to Davis' aid. With Hikari and Takeru's help, Davis struggled into a standing position. He appeared pretty bruised, though Ichijouji would probably find similar injury marks if he looked into a mirror.

"Is this what you have amounted to? Resorting to violence when you run out of options? Pathetic." The Kaiser spat.

"Shut up, you coward. You don't have a right to say anything about violence to us in particular," Davis shot back.

"Yeah, for one who turns Digimon into slaves to do your dirty work, you really don't," Takeru shouted angrily at him. The other Chosen echoed similar sentiments.

"Don't I? Look around." The Kaiser nodded towards the rear direction of the Chosen Children. They turned around and saw Fladramon fending off Deltamon, Pegasmon, and Holsmon. Mostly the latter two anyway, because Deltamon was stumbling and fumbling in its haphazard attempt to protect itself.

"Ironic, isn't it? You preach peace and yet you send your partner into a frenzy." The Kaiser laughed.

Takeru gripped Davis' shoulder painfully. "You have to stop Fladramon, Daisuke-kun. He's hurting Deltamon. Call him off now," he urged.

"But the Digimon Kaiser—"

"Can wait," Miyako interrupted. "We will catch him some other day, but we really should stop your partner. He's hurting everyone, including himself."

A gush of wind came from their hinds and a huge shadow blanketed the ground that they stood on. The Kaiser leapt and caught the horn of the Airdramon that he had summoned to pick him up. He smirked smugly at the Chosen Children who raised their arms to shield themselves from the dust cloud. Laughing in triumph, he shrunk out of sight as his slave carried him away to safety.

Davis stomped his foot furiously. "That bastard… Absolutely unforgivable!"

"I know, but we have to do something about Fladramon right now."

The boy nodded. That was more important. They ran towards their partners. The ground rumbled and the Kaiser's Drimogemon made their second appearance.

"Can't stop bothering us even though he's not here, that Digimon Kaiser," Tailmon grumbled. "Daisuke, you go with the rest. Hikari and I will hold them off."

"Oi, don't forget me gyaa. Iori and I will help you as well," Armadimon chimed in. Tailmon modded gratefully.

"Go, Daisuke-kun. There is no time," Hikari pressed.

Davis nodded. With Takeru and Miyako trailing behind, he sprinted as fast as his tired and bruised body could take him. He heard the sounds of Armour Evolution and combat rising, but he could not turn back to watch. They came up to the ruined battleground where Fladramon and his opponents stood, panting heavily. Still coloured in a shade of sinister purple, the lizard-man Digimon raised his gauntlets and encased them in fire.

Deltamon took a wobbly step backward and gave a meek roar, void of the strength and intimidation it once possessed. It was backed into a wall of stone and rock, trapped in a corner like a frightened mouse. The Evil Ring strapped to it was gone, probably destroyed in the fight. Its once glowing red eyes were gone, in their place was a confused pair. Eyes filled with fear, contracted into slits at the sight of a dark figure approaching menacingly.

"Fladramon, stop! He is not under the Kaiser's control anymore," Davis yelled at his partner. The Digimon paid no heed and continued his slow trudging towards his prey, ready to deal the final blow.

"You hurt my friends. You will pay. You hurt my friends. You will _pay_ ," Fladramon repeated emotionlessly. He thought he could hear his partner calling his name in the distance. The soft cries were drowned out by the storm of anger in his head. Deltamon hurt him. It hurt his friends. It will _pay._

"It's not working. He's not listening to me. Fladramon!" Davis' desperate cries sadly couldn't reach his partner at all.

Pegasmon and Holsmon charged. They sandwiched Fladramon, stopping his advance. Fladramon writhed and pounded his attackers. His blows burned into their hide, but they didn't cave in to the pain.

"This is not you, Fladramon. You are about to kill an innocent Digimon." Pegasmon bit back his pain and fatigue, holding his ground. Holsmon grunted, feeling the same.

"Shut up! Let me go!"

Davis felt his blood turn cold. "No, Fladramon, no! This is wrong. Stop it at once!"

Seeing its chance to escape, Deltamon made a break for it. It didn't get far, for Fladramon let loose an angry cry and unleashed a barrage of Kunckle Fire attacks in its direction. Some hit their target while the others exploded against the rocky slope, hailing rubble in an avalanche on top of the poor Digimon's body.

An erratic beeping came from Davis' D-3. He held it up and read the words of the screen.

 _System error. Force deactivate._

Fladramon collapsed, drained of energy. He shrank back into his Baby level, Chibomon. Pegasmon and Holsmon regressed back into their Child levels respectively and returned to their partners' arms. The Digimental of Courage shot back into Davis' D-Terminal. However, its image was rendered grey. Davis didn't care though. He ran up to his partner's lifeless heap and knelt. Gently, he picked up Chibomon. The Baby Digimon wriggled weakly.

"Hey, Daisuke. I feel so tired. So… tired…" He lost consciousness in the boy's arms. Hugging his partner tightly, Davis let tears stream down his face for a second time. Soft hands touched his shoulders.

"Come on, Daisuke-kun. Let's go home."

* * *

 _A/N: This is the third version of this chapter. The original storyline was different, and the second draft was a little too dark. This one, I am more satisfied with after so much rewriting._

 _Please leave a review to tell me what you think!_


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Second update in a week! I'm on a roll here._

 _Anyway, I know I took such a long time to update my last chapter that many of my old readers have probably left or whatever. But still, 3 reviews was enough to keep me going fast. Hopefully, I will give you guys chapter 15 soon._

* * *

Chapter 14

The door to the Kaiser's control room slid open, and in he shuffled, aching all over his body. As soon as he sat down in his chair, Ken felt the strength surge back into his arms. He had regained control of his body. Unfortunately, that meant the pain had tripled in intensity. He touched his shoulder gingerly and winced. That one was going to last a few days.

Ken then remembered why he was so angry. Slamming his fist on the metal arm rest, he shouted. "Come out, Nauticus. I know you are there."

The dark figure materialised to his right. His arms were folded and his back was hunched. He appeared to be thinking hard. He ignored the tirade Ichijouji was throwing at him and continued to ponder whatever it was.

"What were you thinking?! I said I wanted a plan to give Davis a power boost, not tear down his confidence completely! Look what you have done. I lost a Deltamon, plus Davis now thinks I am evil!"

Nauticus shushed him. 'Yeah, yeah. You lost a Deltamon, big deal. There are more urgent concerns, like did you feel that power surge? That kid holds the Darkness in him." He paced the room.

"How could I not have sensed it in the first place?" Nauticus muttered. "I should have felt it the moment I awakened but no, this is fascinating. But the Darkness shouldn't be dominant in that universe, nor in this. What the eff—"

"Hello, are you listening to me?"

"Fladramon's strength levels shot through the roof. An Armour Digimon trashing, no, _killing_ an Adult level Digimon… Not just that, but-

"Nauticus! What is going on?!"

"Zip it, Ichijouji," the masked man snapped. "This is something new and I'm processing it. I can't do it without you yammering on about little insignificant details."

Ken was persistent. "Can you do that after you tell me why you went and drove Davis over the deep end?"

Nauticus made an annoyed _tsk_ before starting, "The plan was simple. Hold the Chosen Children hostage, and test Kamiya's choice. I half expected him to offer himself instead, or use his emotions to give Fladramon a speed boost. Or muscles. Or an extra tail. Just something. It worked, technically, but the massive power up and rage was a bit unexpected."

Ken sighed exasperatedly. "You don't know Davis too well, do you? He has always been… sensitive. That dark fury though, it's the first time I've seen him break down like that."

"I don't blame him. The same technique has caused others to go insane too. That one time with that guy from a desert, he went so mad he started going on about newspapers from god. Man, the explosions were _magnificent._ "

That only infuriated Ken even further. "You knew something and still went through with it? How could you!"

Nauticus shrugged. "Hey, you wanted a plan. I gave you one that worked. Quit complaining."

"You _gave_ me a plan? You took over my body! I could see and hear everything but not move. It was like watching a movie about what you are about to do, but not being able to stop yourself."

"I know right! Fun, isn't it?"

Something in Ken snapped. "That's it, you—"

He threw a punch at Nauticus, but it went right through. Ken stumbled forward and regained his balance. The man rolled his dichromatic eyes.

"Did you forget that I am not actually here? I am inside your head, dummy. I am a consciousness."

Ken imagined killing Nauticus in as many violent ways as possible. The latter rolled his eyes again.

"Not going to work on me. Nice try though. A+ for effort."

"How do you plan to fix this? Your mess is going to ruin all my plans," Ken demanded.

"Nothing at all. I did you a favour. Davis' outburst is a good thing, actually."

The boy looked at his supposedly imaginary companion incredulously. "A good thing?"

Nauticus nodded. "Yes, because Fladramon was only Armor level. Imagine what damage he could have done with a Perfect level, or worse _Ultimate_ level Digimon. The amount of devastation…" He trailed off, but the implication lay hanging in the air.

Ken swallowed. "Good point. Still, how am I going to fix this? Should I talk to Davis, tell him the truth?"

"Well, if you think he would believe someone that only you can communicate with took over your body and gave him living hell, by all means go ahead."

The Kaiser frowned. _That would make a pretty pathetic excuse_ , he agreed.

"What am I going to do, then? Carry on with the image of the Kaiser that you created?" He moaned.

Nauticus waved dismissively. "The Kaiser's image has already been establish. You're the bad guy who wants to take over the Digital World. You enslave Digimon and try to keep the Chosen Children from foiling your plans. You're _evil,_ " he drawled, making a spooky hand motion.

"But… I am not! I am only pretending to evil so that they can grow stronger," Ken protested.

"All the better if you make it convincing, right? I am pretty sure the Chosen Children hate you more than they're supposed to at this point in time."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, forget I said anything," Nauticus said hurriedly. "My point is, you have a job. _Be good at it._ "

Ken said nothing. The words made sense, yet he felt deeply insulted. He didn't have time to dwell on his hurt feelings, for Nauticus interrupted his thoughts with another ominous statement.

"Oh, and one more thing's for sure: I'm not sure if bringing Davis to this world was a good idea."

That startled Ken. He was not expected such a statement. His invisible companion had said it so calmly and it troubled him. He asked cautiously, "What do you mean?"

"The original Davis, _Daisuke_ I mean, from this world was a substitute for Davis in your home world," Nauticus explained, "The reason was because Davis was destined to destroy it, so what if Davis' destiny changes and he becomes the bane of this world instead?

"This is fascinating as hell." He grinned madly behind his mask. Ken trembled, then screamed bloody murder at thin air. Nauticus was grating on his nerves a lot.

Outside, two Bakemon guards backtracked before they passed by the door. They knew better than to go near the Kaiser when he was in a bad mood, whatever the reason may be. Perhaps patrolling the other side of the base again was a good idea.

* * *

The chosen children returned to the computer room. The evening sun shone through the windows, turning the floor and walls a dark shade of orange.

"See you guys tomorrow," Davis muttered and he grabbed his belongings, careful not to wake Chibomon. He didn't turn to look anyone in the eye. Head hung low, he trudged out of the room silently. The others watched him go.

"Daisuke-kun…" Hikari reached out, wanting to follow her friend. Takeru stopped her, shaking his head.

"Daisuke-kun needs some time. It's better to ask Taichi-san for advice. Talk to your brother later."

Hikari nodded unhappily and bit her lip.

Iori and Miyako looked at each other worriedly, shocked by the events that had transpired earlier during the day. "Is Daisuke going to be okay?" The girl asked.

Takeru answered. "I am not sure, but I hope he will be. Let's go home and get some rest first. We'll talk about this tomorrow."

* * *

"Hey Poromon, what happens when Digimon die?"

The pink ball of feathers looked up from his pillow. His partner lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Why ask this suddenly?"

"Well… Fladramon almost killed Deltamon when he went crazy. I wondered what would have happened if he had actually succeeded."

"I'm not too sure," he said hesitantly. "No one really knows, but it is said we get reborn as an egg somewhere in the Digital World. Patamon and Tailmon mentioned that the eggs appear in the Village of Beginnings, wherever that is."

"So you're saying that Digimon can't die?"

"We can, I think. I am not sure about it. Maybe we can ask Takeru and Hikari."

Miyako hummed thoughtfully. "If Fladramon killed Deltamon, could she come back?"

"Maybe, or she could come back as a different Digimon. It's not really clear how the Digital World works." Poromon joined his partner in her quiet study of the room ceiling. Outside the door, they could hear muffled voices talking. There was an occasional spurt of laughter, and then cheering. The Inoue siblings must have been watching the baseball game. Both of them felt the lull of sleep as the comfort of the pillow and mattress slowly crept up to them. There was a long silence before Miyako broke it.

"Daisuke-kun must feel really bad, because he doesn't know this… I wonder what happened to him, making Fladramon go berserk like that."

"I don't know either, but I hope it doesn't happen again."

* * *

Iori drew breath as he sat in his cross-legged position. His Grandfather had taught him meditation, though he never really could get hang of it.

"Pay no attention to your surroundings. Don't try to control your breathing. Just let it flow and focus on how it flows through your body," Grandfather had said. "Feel how your body moves when you breathe in and out."

His mind constantly wandered. The sounds of Upamon bouncing on his bed. The flapping of the curtains as the wind blew against them. The horns from the traffic below. They were all distracting to him, no matter how hard he tried to ignore them.

His thoughts were just as troubled. The events that transpired earlier played over and over in his mind.

 _Stop thinking about it. Breathe in. Breathe out._

After several minutes that seemed like ages, he gave up. He sighed disappointedly, then picked up a kid-friendly encyclopaedia. He sat down at his desk and opened it. He flipped through the pages, mainly seeing the pictures of marvels and fascinating sights across the world. Upamon came over to join him shortly after.

"Hey, Iori. Are you still thinking about today dagyaa?"

Iori nodded. "I still can't get over Fladramon's actions. It was scary. Daisuke-kun was scary. I am worried, but mostly, I am angry at the Digimon Kaiser."

He clenched his fists. "None of this would have happened if the Kaiser didn't cause so much trouble."

Upamon looked at him sadly. "Don't be so angry gyaa. Takeru said Fladramon went berserk because the Kaiser made him really angry gyaa. You don't want the same thing to happen to me, do you gyaa?"

Iori looked at him. He embraced Upamon warmly. "Never, Upamon. I will never let that happen to you. I will learn to control my emotions well."

* * *

" _Berserk?!"_

Takeru shirked, holding the phone receiver away from this ear. "Yeah, brother. Fladramon went berserk. No need to yell it back into my ear."

" _Are you guys okay?"_ There was concern in Yamato's voice.

"Yeah, thankfully. It was a bit like that time when Taichi made Agumon evolve into Skullgreymon,, except not as terrible."

" _You're saying Daisuke made V-Mon evolve into a monster?"_

"Not really… more like Fladramon went on a brutal rampage and almost killed one the Digimon Kaiser's captured Deltamon."

" _Seriously? What happened?"_

Takeru pursed his lips. "I don't know, I was out cold at the moment," he spoke into the mouthpiece. "When I woke up, I saw Fladramon recklessly attacking the Digimon Kaiser's Deltamon. He looked… different."

" _Huh? How so?"_

Thinking back to earlier that day, he described Fladramon's unusual appearance. "He was blue and purple, and his armour was black. Brother, do you think this is a Dark Evolution?"

" _I don't know… It could be. How could this have happened?"_

"I'm not sure either, but I think something happened between him and the Digimon Kaiser."

" _That bastard… Someone really has to sock him in the face one day, and it had very well be you._ "

Takeru chuckled, savouring the image of landing a blow on the Kaiser's smug face. His knuckles tingled as he felt he imaginary impact of his knuckles against skin and cheekbone. "Brother, you're sounding a lot like Taichi-san right now."

There was an incredulous noise and Yamato protested. _"What? No, I do not!"_

"Oh yes, you are. Has Taichi-san's violent tendencies rubbed off you?"

" _No they haven't. I don't sound the least bit like idiot Taichi."_

Takaishi snorted derisively. "Anyhow, I think we need to talk to Daisuke-kun tomorrow. He needs someone who experienced this before to talk to him. You and Taichi-san could give him a pep talk."

A pause came from the other end. _"I see. I believe Hikari would have told him about what happened. I will see you after class tomorrow then. Goodnight."_

"Goodnight."

The call ended and they hung up. Takeru placed the phone on its base, concerned about his teammate. He strode back to his room and sat on the edge of his bed. Patamon plopped onto his lap.

"What are you thinking about, Takeru?"

"Nothing much," he lied. "Hey Patamon, do you think Daisuke-kun will be alright?"

Patamon studied his partner's face. "If he's anything like you, he definitely will be. You're very strong, Takeru."

Takeru grinned. His partner was the sweetest thing he ever had in the whole world. "Only because I have you. Come here!" He embraced Patamon and they laughed heartily. Outside, Natsuko Takaishi felt the edges of her mouth creep into a warm smile.

Knowing her son was so happy made her feel satisfied inside. She couldn't help but wonder how her other son was doing as well. Hopefully even better.

* * *

" _Has Hikari told you about it yet?"_

Taichi raised an eyebrow as he glanced at his sister. Hikari hugged herself, leaning against the door frame of their shared room. "Not yet." She mouthed, "I was going to do so in a while."

"Nope, I haven't heard anything," he replied.

" _Hmm, get her to tell you the details. Anyway, you and I are going to find Daisuke tomorrow after school."_

"Um, okay. I think he has soccer practise though."

" _Perfect. Goodnight."_ The line went dead, leaving Taichi to scowl at his telephone receiver.

"That guy… What was all that about?" he grumbled.

"Was that Yamato-kun?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, he said we should go talk to Daisuke after school. Something happened to him. Is there anything you wanted to tell me?"

Hikari hung her head. Taichi placed a hand on her shoulder and led her into the room. He beckoned for her to sit down on his lower bunk. Tailmon scampered into the room and leapt onto her laps, where she purred contentedly. Taichi himself took a seat next to his sister as she scratched the back of Tailmon's ears.

"Okay, start from the beginning."

Hikari recounted the tale of how a normal day of checking out the Digital World turned into a hostage situation and Fladramon's rampage. Taichi listened attentively, showing signs of understanding by the slight nods and changes in facial expressions. When she finished, Taichi rubbed his chin.

"Sounds like Daisuke messed up big time. I know how that feels."

"It wasn't really Daisuke-kun's fault. The Digimon Kaiser made him very angry and it triggered something in him," she defended.

Taichi sighed and tousled his messy mop of hair. The news weighed quite heavily on his shoulders. In his mind's eye, he revisited a particularly unpleasant memory. He frowned, thinking of the turmoil Daisuke must be going through. "Perhaps not, but Daisuke can't allow himself to act so emotionally. If getting him angry can cause such an effect then…"

Tailmon finished for him. "It could be dangerous for everyone around him."

"Are you going to talk to him tomorrow?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, Yamato and I will be dropping by after school tomorrow. How is he holding up?"

His sister frowned. "He just replied my email with a simple 'I will be fine, see you tomorrow'. It doesn't really say much. I am worried about him, brother."

Taichi glanced solemnly out of the window. He pursed his lips for a while before answering. "He will be fine," he assured her. "I'll give him the pep talk tomorrow. He'll be up and running again in no time."

* * *

"I am home."

"Welcome back," Mrs. Motomiya replied, not even looking up from her cooking. "Dinner is almost ready, so go take a shower and we can eat when Dad gets home."

Jun Motomiya peeped out from her room. She was just playing around with her new friend Metalkoromon. The mouse-like creature nestled comfortably in her short, spiky hair. It tickled a lot.

"Hey bro," she greeted. Then she noticed Davis' puffy eyes and mild sniffle. Chibimon was nowhere to be seen, though Davis held a blue blob in his arms. She approached her brother.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked concernedly.

Davis shook his head, avoiding his sister's eyes. He shuffled past her and went straight to his room, shutting the door quietly as he did so. Jun watched him go, feeling confused and sad.

Inside, he lay Chibomon gently on his pillow, careful not to wake him. He took the small towel that Chibimon used as his blanket and covered him. Chibomon shifted, but did not wake.

Davis put his bag down and changed. He leaned against his door and slowly slid down into a sitting position. He felt terrified just not long ago, but that feeling had been replaced with bitter anger and guilt. Anger at the Digimon Kaiser for his betrayal; guilt for causing his friends such grief, at the expense of his partner's wellbeing too.

He placed his head on his knees, trembling from the cocktail of emotions that were coursing through him. A quiet sequence of taps alerted him, followed by Jun's voice. "Hey, Daisuke. Can I come in?"

Chibomon stirred and Davis rushed to stroke him back to sleep. He then opened his door and glared at his sister. "What do you want?" he asked.

Jun scowled at him. "To talk about you, of course. You need a big sister right now and that's what I am here for." She glanced at Chibomon and raised an eyebrow at Davis pointedly.

Davis held his glare for a few moments more before he reluctantly let her in. The room was dark, lit only by the study lamp on his desk. Jun observed Chibomon's slow breathing in his slumber, curious about the new addition to their household.

"Who's this and what happened to Chibimon?"

Davis closed the door. "That _is_ Chibimon. Lower your voice, or you'll wake him."

"What happened to him, dude? He looks so… squishy."

"I believe that is Chibomon, the Baby form of Chibimon." Metalkoromon's voiced, poking his snout out of Jun's hair to take a closer look.

"I thought Chibimon was the Baby form of V-mon." Davis said.

"That is correct, but there are two levels of Baby Digimon: Baby I and Baby II. Chibomon is the Baby I form of V-mon while Chibimon is Baby II."

Jun beamed at Davis. "Isn't he knowledgeable?" she reached up to stroke Metalkoromon. "He plugged in to the computer and started reading articles too."

"I am pretty fast in gaining information." He sounded pretty pleased as well. The two of them laughed softly.

Davis scowled. "I thought you were here to talk to me, not brag about Metalkoromon."

Jun sobered up a bit. "Well, I am. First, you have to tell me what's happened today."

"Nothing, I just had an argument."

"Don't give me that crap, Daisuke." The boy in question flinched at the sternness. "You don't cry when you get into arguments. You would probably start a fight and get called to the Principal's office but crying? Never."

"You don't know me that well." It wasn't a lie, but it would a long time before Jun would understand what he really meant.

"Are you kidding? I am your sister. I have looked after you for more than a decade, eleven if you count this year. I know you better than you know yourself."

 _How ironic that this is probably true,_ Davis thought sarcastically.

"Alright, I got scolded by my teacher for acting up in class today. Happy?"

Jun snorted. "Nice try, but everyone knows you have such a thick skull that no amount of scolding would get to you." She squinted at the boy for a moment and her face lit up.

"Is this about Hikari?"

Davis was taken aback by the guess. It was so random and out of place. Jun couldn't have missed the mark further. If this was an archery match, she would have been disqualified immediately. "Come again?"

Jun took it as a positive sign and pressed on. "Everyone knows that you have a crush on her. I mean, you don't exactly try to not make it obvious. It was always Hikari-chan this, Hikari-chan that until recently. Did she reject you?"

He felt exasperation building up in his chest. His eyes welled up, but not because of sadness. They were tears of laughter. He must have looked like he was about to cry because Jun quickly calmed him down.

"There, there… Don't go bawling your eyes out again. I think Hikari is a nice girl and all but maybe you're just not her type. You're still eleven, Daisuke. There's no rush for you to find a girlfriend yet. Look at me, I am single and happy."

Davis sniffled. "Isn't that because you want to date Yamato-san?"

Jun had hearts in her eyes. "Yeah, because he is _so_ cool. He is the coolest guy I have ever met in my entire life! I really want to go out on a date with him. He is so cool with his guitar and he sings so well… Oh, those blue eyes and blonde hair." She cooed dreamily.

 _She is going to be so disappointed when she finds out about Yamato-san and Sora-san._ "Uhh…"

"Anyway," she snapped out of it and spoke, "don't be so sad. You'll find someone even better one day." With that, she patted Davis on the head and got up.

"I am curious about human mating rituals. I will look up online later."

"Umm, I don't think that is such a good idea, Metalkoromon…"

The faint smell of food wafted into his room as Jun opened and closed the door. Chibomon's nostrils wriggled and he woke.

"Daisuke, is there food?" he asked weakly.

Davis walked over to his partner and scratched his cheek. "Mom made dinner. I'll bring you some food in a while okay? Get some more sleep for now."

"Sure, Daisuke." Chibomon yawned and dozed off almost instantly.

The boy sighed. He felt better now, knowing that his partner would most likely be fine. Some food and a lot of rest would get him back into shape. Soon, he hoped. But it seemed like they wouldn't be going to the Digital World anytime now.

He was then reminded of his injuries when he accidentally poked a bruise on his side. He winced, and dug out some analgesic cream to counter the pain. He would apply it after his bath.

Davis was somewhat grateful that his sister had unintentionally cheered him up. He also felt relieved, having just dodge a bullet there. He couldn't explain what happened earlier that day without giving away his adventures in the Digital World. Thankfully, Jun's triumph assumption had saved him the trouble. Heck, she didn't even ask how Chibimon regressed into Chibomon. He couldn't help but chuckle at Jun's suggestion.

His D-terminal blipped. He checked his inbox, and saw that Hikari had sent him a message.

He read, _'Daisuke-kun, are you okay? Call me if you want to talk.'_

Feeling warm inside, he let his mouth morph into a genuine smile. Thinking for a while, he typed out a reply. "Dear Hikari, I will be fine. See you tomorrow." He paused, then added a 'chan' honorific to Hikari's name. He put his D-terminal away and thought.

 _Hikari and I, a couple? I wonder how that'd work out. I am pretty sure I was discrete about my old crush though._

His memories of Daisuke's life showed him the intense attraction he had towards the girl, but his true memories felt less strong. They were suddenly cut off by a rage directed towards the Digimon Kaiser. He took a sharp breath and vowed.

He would defeat the Kaiser and tear his empire down. Then he would force Ken Ichijouji to tell him everything.

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter was a lot more angst-y when I planned it, and so was the next chapter. Well the next chapter and this was supposed to be combined but inspiration hit and I ended up writing more than I planned. As a result, the second half was pushed back into chapter 15._

 _I know, this is a lot shorter than the previous, but hey, two updates in a week so that has to count for something. A shorter breather with character moments before I hit the gas pedal again. Please leave a review to tell me what you think!_


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: This took a little longer than expected. Here you go._

* * *

Chapter 15

"Oi, Motomiya! Get your head in the game, man!"

Davis panted as he wiped the sweat off his brow. The sun was in his face, and his shirt was drenched. His fellow players were in similar conditions, though they pressed on. He could see one of the boys doubling over, clutching his side as he took deep excruciating breaths. In his own breathlessness, Davis replied, "Sorry, Coach. I have a lot on my mind right now."

Coach Tagado huffed and barked at him. "The only thing that should be on your mind right now is practise. Now go!"

Davis nodded. He sprinted forward to get the pass. He kicked it towards the goal. The ball hit the post and rebounded. He groaned, as did his teammates.

"What's wrong with you, dude? That's the third goal you've missed in the last half hour." Gen complained. Indeed, he hadn't been at the top of his game. In fact, he was a _long_ way off from his peak performance. Ken would be chortling at him if he was seeing this. The name sparked annoyance and anger in him, causing him to miss the pass. He halted in his tracks and doubled back to run after the ball.

"Come on, Daisuke. Focus!"

 _I am trying,_ Davis thought in irritation. He could still feel his injuries from yesterday's brawl acting up. The fact that he didn't sleep too well last night for obvious reasons didn't help at all. He lost his concentration and tripped. The coach blew his whistle, and the other players came to a halt. The man strolled up to Davis and shook his head.

"Motomiya. If you're not feeling like it, I suggest you sit at the stands. You're less of a danger to yourself," Coach Tagado said.

"I am fine, I just—"

"Need to get yourself together," his coach interrupted gruffly. "Go, take fifteen minutes off and I want to see you back on the field." Davis obeyed with visible reluctance.

He walked over to the pavilion to sit down. He pulled out a towel to wipe his sweat. Then he took a long swig from his water bottle. He watched his teammates play, clapping when Ryuuga managed to save a goal. His heartbeat began to slow down to normal. The sun was still high up, its heat bearable on his back and neck. Two shadows appeared next to where he sat. One of them had a distinct head shape, and he immediately knew who it was.

"Yo, Daisuke. Shouldn't you be down there with the others?"

He turned and found Taichi and Yamato standing behind him. Taichi had his arms crossed while Yamato had his hands inserted into the pockets of his school trousers.

"Taichi-san, Yamato-san," he greeted.

Taichi took a seat next to him. "What are you doing here, benched on your own?" Yamato remained standing.

"I kept messing up today, so Coach told me to sit down and compose myself. I am supposed to be back in another ten minutes."

A nod of understanding. "Ah, makes sense. When you aren't focused enough to be giving it your all, you might as well take a break. Happened to me before," Taichi said.

Yamato cleared his throat loudly from behind. He gave his friend a look to remind him what they were here for. Taichi didn't understand what he meant and just returned the look with a blank stare. Yamato furrowed his brow and lightly jerked his head in Davis' direction. Realisation hit Taichi like a truck. "Oh right." He turned towards Davis.

"Well, we wanted to talk to you about yesterday. We heard that you had an incident… involving Fladramon." He spoke carefully, eyeing Davis for a reaction. The new Chosen hung his head but said nothing. He relieved the shocking event in his mind, tensing up when he saw Fladramon's feral expression and his raging attack on Deltamon.

He took a sharp gasp when he saw his partner cause the avalanche that blanketed the severely injured Deltamon. A firm grasp jerked him back into reality. He looked up and saw Yamato's concerned blue eyes giving him a piercing stare.

Taichi sighed. "Well, I guess that explains a lot… How are you feeling?"

"My partner went berserk and almost killed an innocent," Davis snapped at him, "and it's all my fault. How do you expect me to feel?"

"Daisuke, get a grip on yourself." Yamato spoke sternly. "Start from the beginning and tell us what happened."

The goggle-boy scowled. He pursed his lips and was silent for a moment. Then he slowly elaborated on the events that transpired yesterday. When he finished, Yamato and Taichi shared a knowing look.

"So you're saying that you felt rage towards the Kaiser and then that happened?"

"I think so. I was too focused on beating up the Kaiser that I didn't see what was going on with Fladramon. It was only when Takeru tore my attention away that I saw Fladramon looking like… that."

Taichi hummed thoughtfully. "I sounds to me that it was dark evolution. Dark Armour Evolution, to be exact."

"Dark evolution?"

He nodded. "There was one time I wanted Agumon to Evolve so badly that I corrupted his evolution. He turned into Skullgreymon. Now that was a nightmare."

"Not to make you feel bad or anything, Daisuke, but things could have turned out a lot worse with Fladramon. V-mon is a rare Digimon, no-one knows what he can Evolve into. You're lucky that your partner was only Armour level in this situation." Yamato said.

"That's right. Skullgreymon was a monstrosity. He was Perfect level and he almost killed us all," Taichi added, shuddering at the thought.

Davis frowned. "I see."

Yamato smiled curtly. "So have you learned anything from this experience?"

"Umm…"

"That was a rhetorical question. Just be really careful with your emotions. Your Digimon is closely connected to the inner workings of your heart and will be affected by them."

Davis could only nod. "Was this supposed to be a pep talk though?"

Taichi grinned. "Kind of. It was Yamato's idea."

"Hey, I thought the kid needed someone to talk to. Talking always makes people feel better.

The boy didn't know if he felt better or not. There wasn't much comfort in his two seniors' words. Of course, he didn't point that out. A more thought crossed his mind.

 _Should I?_

He contemplated for a while. He hesitated, but then he decided that it would be best if the others knew the truth.

"There's something else I should probably tell you." The older Chosen looked at him curiously.

"I know who the Digimon Kaiser's real identity is."

* * *

He had expected this to happen. It didn't change the fact that he was reluctant about it though.

Each step he took, it trailed behind. It ran in circles around him, or wove between his legs. Occasionally, it would rub against his ankle lovingly, something Wormmon loved to do. Unlike the Digimon, the feel was much softer. Not to mention furrier.

 _You're too trusting,_ Ken thought. _You can't just go up to strangers like that._

The puppy didn't seem to be able to read thoughts. It yapped happily, not caring where it was going. All it knew was that this two legged, creature had gave it food. It was now Ken's loyal follower, and it would always go where its master went.

Ken stopped. It stopped.

Ken took a few steps forward. So did it.

Sighing, Ken stooped to his knees and looked the puppy in the eyes. The pup put its front paws on his shoulder, tongue hanging out happily. Its fluffy fur was just adorable as its innocent eyes.

"Don't you have a home to go back to? Where's your mama?"

The pup yapped, its tail wagging excitedly.

"You don't know? Well, you can hardly just follow anybody that shows you some kindness around."

 _Bork._

"Of course you do whatever you want, but what if you run into someone bad? What would you do?"

 _Bork, bork._

Ken messaged his temples.

"And now you think that I have more food for you if you come with me. Good grief, I am talking to a dog and people are taking pictures of me." He spotted a few people whispering and pulling out their phones to snap photos. They were near a café and tables were laid out outside. Only one was occupied at the moment, and through the window he could see a couple enjoying themselves inside the air conditioned indoors

 _Might as well give them something to buff my rep._

He patted the pup's head. He heard a girl go 'aww'.

" _He likes you."_

Ken looked up in the direction of the voice. It was a Caucasian, but with brown hair. He wore a neat formal suit, blazer unbuttoned in his seated position. He took a sip of coffee and gave a satisfied smile. Ken then realised that he had spoken in English.

" _Does he? How did you know it was a he?"_ He asked softly, also in English.

The man laughed. _"I am a vet, my dear boy. I think I know a male when I see one. So you're the famous Ichijouji kid I have heard about. Didn't think I would have the chance to meet you in person. You speak pretty fluent English,"_ he complimented with a twinkle in his eyes.

Ken shrugged and smiled politely. _"Thanks. English is one of the easier language subjects to learn, compared to some others."_

" _Many of your fellow Japanese folk don't seem to think so. Bet they're wondering what we are talking about right now."_ The man nodded at the curious passers-by and winked at the shy maid who peeked out from the window. She hastily moved out of sight, blushing madly.

" _Anyway,"_ he continued, _"this little pup here seems to have developed a liking to you, which is surprising because I've been around and he never seemed to pay much attention to anyone else."_

Ken said nothing. He scratched the behind of the puppy's ear. He wiggled and gave Ken a wet kiss on the hand, tail swishing faster than ever. Wormmon loved that too, Ken recalled.

The man smiled. _"Well, if the little guy follows you home then I say you've gotten a friend for life. He's been running around for a couple of weeks now."_

" _Does he have a home, or a family?"_

" _Who knows?"_ He shrugged. _"I only care that he finds a good new one, if he chooses to."_

He looked at his watch and exclaimed, _"Good Lord, I must be going now. I'll see you around, Mr Ichijouji."_ With that, the man finished his coffee and left some money under the cup. He took his briefcase, which was unnoticed from where Ichijouji was crouched, and headed off.

Ken blinked. That was one weird conversation. He got up and headed home. The pup had no intention of letting him go on his own. He sighed in resignation and led the way.

"C'mon, you little furball. Follow me."

 _Bork!_

* * *

"You can't be serious!"

"I _am_ serious, Miyako. Ichijouji Ken is the Digimon Kaiser."

Davis looked at the other Chosen Children expectantly. They were all inspecting him to see if he was lying. Taichi and Yamato shared glances, Takeru stared at him in disbelief and Hikari had a furrowed brow of uncertainty on her countenance. Iori appeared impassive but Davis knew he was thinking hard, while Miyako looked outright shocked – insulted even – that he had made such a preposterous claim about her idol and crush.

"He can't be. Stop sprouting nonsense, Daisuke! It's bad to say things like this about others without proof."

"I've got proof," he said indignantly. "V-mon saw him too. Right, Chibimon?"

Chibimon looked up from his chocolate bar. A good night's rest and lots of food was more than enough to restore his energy and return to his usual Baby II form. "Huh?"

"You know who the Kaiser is, right? We've met him before. Ichijouji Ken, remember?"

"Yup! Who is Ichijouji Ken again?"

Davis facepalmed. He spotted Miyako's precious autographed magazine on the table and snatched it up. The girl cried out, "Hey, be careful with that!" He ignored her and pointed at the smiling portrait of Ken on the front cover.

"This guy. He's the Kaiser!"

"Isn't that the guy we met in Metal City?"

Davis snapped his fingers. "Bingo," he said, borrowing Miyako's new catchphrase.

The girl in question smacked his hands and gingerly took back her beloved autograph. Hugging it near her chest, she said sceptically, "I don't believe it. There's no way he can be the Digimon Kaiser."

Taichi studied his successor's face and watched it morph in frustration and spoke up. "Daisuke, it's hard for us to just believe you and Chibimon like that. Ichijouji Ken doesn't seem like the kind of person the Kaiser is."

"Looks can be deceiving though," Yamato added. His best friend shrugged.

"He seems to know about Digimon though," Iori pointed out. "He wasn't surprised about Digimon when he saw our partners after Daisuke-san's soccer game."

"So? It's no big deal, there are plenty others who probably remember the incident from three years ago. That doesn't prove anything," Miyako defended.

Yamato pursed his lips. He didn't want to point out Miyako's denial. "Well, we can almost certainly look into this. If the Digimon Kaiser is this close to use, we can confront him. If only we knew a way to make contact with him…"

Miyako brightened up. "Ooh, I think I saw something in today's magazine." She flipped through the pages and came up to the one she was looking for. The Chosen Children peeked over her shoulder to see what she was referring to.

"Have you guys seen this building in the background somewhere?"

Isn't that somewhere near Tamachi?" Taichi asked her. His geography was nowhere as good as Koushiro's, but he had a decent sense of direction. It was an educated guess, of course, given Ichijouji went to Tamachi Elementary School. "I think I have seen it before on TV or something."

"Let's find out." Miyako loaded a map of Japan and as Taichi had guessed, it was a residential apartment located a short distance away from the school.

"Does he live there?" Hikari questioned. The other girl nodded.

"Yeah, this interview was made a few days ago and it's stated in the article that he stays in one of the units of the apartment building. Quite a normal place for a boy genius like him to live in, don't you think?"

Iori looked at Ken's bashful expression in the photo and said, more to himself than anyone, "It's hard to believe that he is someone who does all the things the Kaiser does… His smile is so gentle."

"I said, Ichijouji Ken-kun is definitely not the Digimon Kaiser. We'll prove it when we go ask him tomorrow," Miyako declared confidently. Yamato exhaled slowly.

 _The denial is strong with this one,_ he thought, _I hope she is not proven wrong. It'll be devastating for her._

Out loud, he said, "Taichi and I will inform the rest of the Chosen Children. You guys can go ahead and check it out first, then update us about it." He got a collective 'Alright' from the others.

* * *

The next afternoon, the new Chosen took the train to Tamachi. They had left their partners at home, for convenience. Davis, Hikari and Miyako sat in a row whereas Takeru and Iori sat opposite them. The tall girl could barely contain her excitement as she bubbled happily in the train, earning strange looks from fellow passengers. The occasional squeal and eager tapping off her feet was drawing more attention than they needed. Hikari placed a hand on her arm, and she piped down a little.

"I can't believe we're going to meet Ken-kun in person again!" She giggled. "I hope he can give me another autograph."

Davis snorted. "What are you going to do, auction them? It's not worth _that_ much honestly." She stuck out her tongue at him.

"You have no appreciation of talent at all," she reprimanded, to which he rolled his eyes. They continued their bickering. Hikari who was sitting in between the two of them giggled at their antics.

Iori and Takeru looked out of the window at the passing scenery. Greens and building zipped past them as the train glided smoothly on its tracks. "This is quite expensive," the younger boy commented.

"Have you never travelled out of Odaiba before?" Takeru asked.

"I have been to Kyoto with my mom and Grandfather once, but this is the first time I have paid for tickets to travel on my own."

The journey took about an hour, passed with quiet small talk and frequent pauses of silence. Davis and Miyako's banter had died down, after the adult near them kept shooting them dirty looks. People didn't talk on the train that much either. Grown-ups in business suits read the newspapers, tapped impassively on their phones, or just sat with their eyes closed, trying to get some much needed rest.

Davis felt his eyes closing, the hum off the train and the rocking of the coaches acting like a lullaby. The sparse chatter was beginning to tire him out. Maybe just five minutes, he thought as he closed his eyes. He dozed off moments later.

In his short, restless slumber, he saw V-mon in the distance. He called his name and ran towards him. Just before he reached, a column of purple light crashed down onto his Digimon partner. The force tore open the ground and sent him flying. When the light subsided, he was met with Fladramon's feral form. There it was again, his very nightmare: black armour, marred hide and eerie purple eyes. Fladramon roared, then advanced slowly towards Davis. The boy backed away in fear. He could hear V-mon's pained voice shouting 'It's all your fault!' at him. In the background, he could hear the Kaiser's manic laughter.

He jolted awake, startling Hikari. The other Chosen gave him worried looks, though none of the other train passengers seemed to notice the little spectacle.

"Just a bad dream," he said dismissively, rubbing his eyes. Miyako went back to reading the Ken's feature article for the umpteenth time. Iori and Takeru resumed their wordless visual intake of the passing scenery, though the latter would sneak glances at his teammate every now and then.

"Was it about Fladramon?" Hikari asked quietly. Davis looked away, not answering. He felt her soft touch on his forearm. It lingered for a while before it was lifted. Soon, they arrived at the station. They got off and made their trip towards the apartment building, with Miyako leading the way. They passed by shops, restaurants and cafes. Customers walked in and out; some with loaded plastic bags, others empty handed. It wasn't too crowded at the moment, and they at least didn't have to squeeze between crowds. However, fifteen minutes later, they were still nowhere near the building. Their feet felt sore, and they had to take a break.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Takeru asked.

Miyako squinted at the map she had printed out. "I am pretty sure. We should be another five minutes away."

It was a close estimation, and they arrived at their destination a couple of minutes later than predicted. They gazed at the multi-storey apartment building that looked before them, casting a giant shadow under the late afternoon sun.

"Do we even know which floor he stays in?" Davis questioned. Nobody answered.

"Well, maybe we could ask someone who stays here," Takeru suggested. He waved down one of the residents who had just walked out of the building. They ran towards her. "Excuse me, do you know which floor Ichijouji Ken lives on?"

The woman in her forties looked surprised. She looked thoughtful for a while and said, "The Ichijouji's? I think he lives on the seventh floor. Are you friends of his?"

The Chosen Children shared looks for a brief second before nodding. "Yeah, we are."

She smiled. "Good, good. It's good that he has friends. I was worried about him actually, being so outstanding and all, that he doesn't have people of his same age to properly interact with. It's not healthy, being alone like him. It's for the better that Japan doesn't have the system that allows him to skip ahead like in the United States, in my opinion."

The kids had no idea how to reply to that so they awkwardly excused themselves and walked into the lobby. The woman waved cheerfully and went on her way. They took the elevator to the seventh floor and like she had said, they found his home.

"Oh my God, I can't believe we're visiting Ken-kun at his home," Miyako simpered excitedly. Davis pressed the doorbell above the plate that said 'Ichijouji' next to the door. Moments later, a kindly woman with dark hair opened the door and peeked out. She looked rather astonished to find five children standing nervously in front of her door.

"Who might you children be?"

Davis put on a brave smile, though his emotions were brewing like a storm inside of him. "Hi, Mrs Ichijouji. We're friends of Ichijouji Ken-kun and we're here to see him. Is he in?"

Mrs Ichijouji blinked. A curious smile brightened up her face. "Oh. Um, hold on." She hollered towards the inside of the apartment. "Ken-chan, could you come out here for a second? There are some kids here to see you. They say they're friends of yours."

Ken stepped into sight. He had a restless puppy in his arms. He kept shifting around so that it wouldn't fall off. The puppy's tail hammered on his chest rhythmically.

"Friends? Who are you—"

He stopped when he saw Davis and the rest. Davis had a pleasant grin on, but he could see the coldness in his eyes. Miyako on the other hand, had hearts in hers, which made him sweat a little. Takeru, Hikari and Iori smiled politely.

"Oh. It's you guys."

* * *

 _A/N: KEN WITH A PUPPY IS THE MOST ADORABLE THING I COULD HAVE THOUGHT OF ASDFGHJKL_

 _Yes, this is the same puppy that got kicked in the earliest introductory episode of 02. Except it didn't happen, and now we have Ken with a PUPPY OMG. Short chapter, I know. I think I am going to be more consistently churning out 3k+ chapters than giving a big 6k one after a longer wait. I don't know. We'll see._

 _Originally I wanted the pep talk scene to be a little more angsty and hurt/comfort, but that was before the sudden inspiration last two chapters that completely derailed my plans. So we ended up with a talk scene that isn't quite there, but it's the best I can come up with under such circumstances._

 _Anyway, let me know what you guys think! I haven't been getting much response lately and I really do hope you all can take a few moments to leave some thoughts. It really helps with the motivation and inspiration to update._


End file.
